Time Thief
by KatzeBlue
Summary: Hyrule and the Gerudo have been at war for centuries, causing Hyrule to slowly decline. Zelda finds herself in charge of a city bent on destruction. Link, a wanted thief on the streets, makes a living for himself alone. He finds Hyrule's despair infuriating, and makes it a personal mission to help. Soon, everyone finds out he is worth more to Hyrule than they could have dreamed.
1. Prologue

_"Hello, little Princess."_

Zelda felt an uneasiness overwhelm her. Centuries of war were behind them now, but perhaps peace could come about in this meeting.

A tall, burly red haired man stood before her, clad in heavy, dark armor. His face bore signs of age compared to her young, delicate features. Two great royals stood before one another, their advisors standing just behind them. Relations between the Gerudo and Hyrule had soured throughout the centuries, leaving war and bloodshed. _But perhaps_, Zelda thought, _Hyrule and the Gerudo could come to an understanding_.

"Lord Ganondorf. My father is not well, so I have elected to take his place in this meeting. I do hope you understand."

The red haired Gerudo scoffed. "What makes the King of Hyrule think his seventeen year old daughter can carry out diplomatic solutions like this?"

Zelda attempted to push his degrading remark aside and tried to focus on the current situation. "Hyrule is requesting a truce. A treaty to end this unnecessary war effort that has plagued our kingdoms for centuries."

Ganondorf's eyes narrowed. Zelda attempted to keep a level composure, her gaze meeting his. It would take much persuading to get the King of the Gerudo to give up his quest for world domination, but her training as Hyrule's Princess and diplomatic ambassador would not go to waste.

"Hyrule has come to a decision where we believe war is no longer necessary for our efforts. We have lost our line of Heroes, and we have yet to find another reborn. For the sake of the world, we request you sign this treaty to end this bloodshed," Zelda took a parchment and a quill handed to her from one of her advisors," and we will give you anything you please."

The King of the Gerudo was silent for a few moments, pondering the Princess' offer for a couple of minutes. Zelda stood, waiting impatiently for his answer.

"I want," Ganondorf began, a devilish smirk forming on his face, "Hyrule."

Zelda felt the air suddenly leave her, finding it hard to stand up straight. "Lord Ganondorf, I cannot…"

"You said _anything_, dear Princess." Ganondorf scoffed out accusingly.

"I cannot give-"

"You can either give your kingdom to me the proper way," Ganondorf interrupted, "or I can take it by force."

Zelda could no longer meet his gaze and instead let her head hang, clenching her fists tightly around the parchment that was meant to be a peaceful treaty.

"Your precious line of Heroes is gone!" Ganondorf spat. "I killed your previous Hero with my own blade. I saw his head topple to the floor beneath my feet. He asked for it. He begged to be killed. Is that how you treat your Heroes now? With disdain and hatred to the point he came to me begging to be killed? How pathetic, dear Princess. It is your kingdom's fault that the next Hero in line has not been born. He will never be born, and your kingdom will never find the hope it needs without a Hero.

"It will be my kingdom. I will unify it with the nations of the Gerudo, and together we will have the most powerful kingdom in the world. Powerful enough to do anything it pleases. Powerful enough to take anything we desire. All you need," Ganondorf paused, walking closer to Zelda as he spoke, "is to give me Hyrule."

"Other people's lands are not yours to take…" Zelda breathed lightly, stepping back. The advisors on each side of her followed in suit, gasps escaping their forms.

"The pathetic Gorons, the sickly Zoras, and the childish Kokiri are inferior races that deserve to be annihilated." Ganondorf spoke the names of the other races with intense disgust.

"No…" Zelda breathed again, finding it harder to compose herself in a dignified way. Ganondorf frightened her immensely, and she felt the treaty in her trembling hands fall to the ground.

After a few more paces, Ganondorf stopped in front of the parchment and picked it up, examining it with little interest.

"Tell your father," Ganondorf began, placing his hands on the top of the paper, "that this war is about to escalate to a level that Hyrule cannot match. My soldiers are ready, and your kingdom is crumbling. Your soldiers continuously desert you. You find traitors in your ranks almost every day. Your economy is crumbling, and your morale is low. Hyrule will be mine, and there will be no stopping me."

With one swift movement, the Gerudo King tore the treaty in half, letting the torn paper fall to the ground before he turned to leave.

As Ganondorf and his advisors quickly left their site over the hills, the royal advisors quickly spouted countless random questions, their panic evident in their voices. However, Zelda did not hear a single thing they said.

She failed her kingdom, she failed her father, and she failed herself. She did not bring peace to Hyrule. Instead, she brought their ultimate destruction. How could she be so foolish?

The Hero of Time was gone, and he would not be reborn. As her thoughts raced, Zelda felt an immense feeling of guilt crush down on her, and before she could catch herself, her knees gave out underneath her. She toppled to the ground, falling on her hands and knees as her advisors quickly shot forward with worried cries. Soundless tears streamed down her cheeks.

* * *

**A/N:**

The debut of my Zelda fanfiction! v

This fanfiction has been in the works for over 10+ years and I am now just writing it. I want to get all of my thoughts out to the world and share my story. ;v; I've had it trapped in my head for so long and now I just want to write it all out!

This is the first fanfic in my series "Chasing Concordia". This book in particular is titled "Time Thief". I plan to have several books in the series!

While the world and story in this fanfiction are roughly based on the Ocarina of Time game, I have other elements from other games that come in to play, as well as a few of my own ideas. The Zelda world here is pretty much a Zelda AU.

Feel free to review. ;v; Thank you~


	2. Chapter 1

Several pairs of feet clad in heavy boots trudged through the misty nighttime streets of Castle Town. The night was hot, but that didn't deter the figures from wearing heavy brown cloaks varying from brown to black. Each hood held the hidden face of a young man, some younger than others, each with a cheery disposition. Some of the young men had bulging satchels filled with various amounts of goods.

"Mistress Velia will be very pleased with our group's score tonight!" A cheerful young brown haired boy spoke up, struggling to carry the weight of his satchel.

"I'm sure," an older boy laughed out, helping the younger with his satchel.

"I feel like I'm getting better at this every night!" Another young boy jumped up cheerfully, probably no more than twelve years old. "It feels nice to do something fun for once!"

Without realizing it, the boy's voice echoed throughout the deserted alleyways. Almost immediately, the older boy at the head of their group halted and held out his hand in a gesture to the others to stop what they were doing. Everything was silent for a few moments before the older boy turned around, poofy blonde bangs swaying over his light blue eyes.

"Keep your voices down."

One of the younger boys scoffed at the demand. "You're not our dad."

"Yes," the older blonde boy agreed and then added, "but I am your superior."

"Just because you're nineteen doesn't make you our boss! Mistress Velia is!"

Sighing in frustration, the blonde haired boy held and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, they way it works with these things is that Mistress Velia appoints a leader to a group of inexperienced younger people so they can teach you what you need to-"

"Nuh uh! We know all we need to know! We don't need a babysitter at night!"

_I swear to everlasting Din-_

"Now hush," a boy around the same age as the blonde piped up, "Sir Link is our leader for tonight, and tonight is almost over. You all have done well. Let's just make it back to the inn unseen. Follow Sir Link until then, otherwise I will personally inform Mistress Velia of your disrespect."

Almost immediately every young boy sealed their lips tight and stood attention, each holding their satchels filled with items ranging from food to silverware to gold statues. One young boy, probably no more than eight, was struggling to stand attention while holding it.

Link glanced at his defender, silently thanking him as he turned away from the group and started for the inn again. He knew these streets by heart now, living and working in them for so long. With his experience, his boss decided he would be a perfect candidate to teach the younger recruits in their business. Outwardly, Link agreed with little hesitation, knowing his compliance made his boss happy. Inwardly, however, he hated kids. Especially the ones who came in with their happy little faces and thought what they were doing was for fun rather than for Hyrule.

With his irritation building again, Link clenched his hands under his cloak.

"You do not seem to like what you are doing tonight," the same boy who defended Link earlier spoke out from behind him, "I think you do an excellent job, though. There is a reason Mistress Velia likes you a lot. I hear you are a good thief."

Link brushed off the compliment. "I've been doing this for most of my life. That's why."

"Well, you are a very good leader. I wouldn't mind training under you again another night."

"Yeah," Link fought back a displeased tone, trying to make it not very evident that he disliked the company of other people, "maybe."

Link made sure everyone was quiet after that as they silently made their way through the alleyways, ducking under and over litter and creates. Night watch guards stood post at almost every alley entrance, making Link's life a heck of a lot harder as he tried to navigate the group away from their sight. The King had issued more guards to be stationed around Hyrule, mostly for the growing thievery and some for the fact the King was growing increasingly paranoid at the amount of Gerudo women rumored to be spotted around town.

As they drew closer to the inn, Link felt a tad bit of relief. A younger boy yelped out in glee, taking off for the entrance.

"Last one there has to pluck a feather from a cucco later!"

The rest of the young boys hurried after the other one, each bearing a different look of horror and excitement in the challenge. They dashed past Link, each funneling into the doorway of the inn and disappearing from his view. Link once again grabbed the bridge of his nose, pulling the hood of his cloak down before stepping into the candlelight of the inn.

At this time of night, the inn was busy with excitement and chatter. The inn seemed to be the hub of what his boss liked to call "the good people of Hyrule" but they were no more than a bunch of thieves stealing from those more fortunate and giving to those less.

"Hey there, hun!" A feminine voice called out from the side. Link looked over to see the innkeeper and his boss herself, Velia, standing behind the counter and serving a few men some drinks. She was a woman in her thirties, through hid her true age well with her busty, curvy features and wavy black hair. Her inn was always open to the vigilantes in town, though silently Link wondered if half of the older men who came into the inn came to look at a pretty woman and not actually help their cause. Though Velia knew their intentions well and used it to her advantage, racking up tips to use in the inn and more volunteers for their cause every day. Velia always kept her looks and sultry up to attract men, but she had no interest in any romantic relationships.

She looked over at Link as he approached the counter and gave a warm smile, waving her hand briefly before setting a drink down on the counter.

"Hey, Velia." Link started as he undid the buckle holding his sword to his belt placed the weapon next to an unoccupied seat. "I see the inn is busier than usual."

"There are just so many people, nowadays!" She feigned a dramatic look as she set a few drinks on the counter. "It is amazing the amount of people that want to help. I'm glad we've made at least a little bit of an impact on the people around town."

Link sat down, mumbling quietly under his breath. "Yeah, well, I'm sure we make a better impact on the people than the Hylian Guard does."

"Oh hun, the guards all must have sticks up their rears. Of course we make a better impact."

Link was surprised Velia heard his muttered comment.

"I hope you had a good day out today. You've been so grumpy lately. I thought maybe teaching some boys could cheer you up." Velia placed a small glass in front of him, offering a warm smile.

"You should know by now how much I don't enjoy teaching other people these things, especially young boys. They treat it all like it's nothing. I feel like I'm going to explode with irritation."

"They're little, hun," Velia turned away to busy herself with something behind the counter. "I remember you were so little when you came here. In fact, you were not much better than those boys. Give them a little bit of a chance."

"Uh huh. Hey, I noticed a few more pieces of paper stuck to the walls around the town. My face is still the most popular, but I saw a few new faces printed as well. I'd make sure you tell the others to make sure they are extra aware when they are out."

Velia turned to Link with a mild concern on her face. "I remember seeing those wanted posters out of you, labeling you as a cold hearted criminal. Well, I mean, you are armed and dangerous, but I'd rather not have the face of one of my most successful thieves plastered on lots of wanted posters. There have been far too many arrests lately. Do you think we should tone down our efforts for safety?"

"I don't know," Link sipped his drink quietly, "I'm not the leader. That's your job."

Velia gave him a sideways glance as she filled another man's glass and set it in front of him.

"Heya, Link boy!" A rough hand patted his back. "It's later than normal. I was thinkin' you were a gonner."

Link turned around and faced a larger, burly black haired man in his thirties as well. He had his hands on his sides as he gazed down at Link with a smile.

"No Derek, I was not arrested, but it was close. I'm surprised Hylian guards pass as the actual police force for Castle Town anyway. They don't do anything."

Velia cut back into the conversation as she held a stein out for Derek, who took it happily with a nod of thanks. "They were decent before the Hero of Time died," she signed, "It's a shame such a decent police force went downhill so fast after the death of one man. I remember being a little girl and always looking up to them."

"Awh, Velia, I'm sure being a little girl was ages ago, wasn't it?" Derek teased with amusement. Velia gave him a look that was quite the opposite of amusement.

"There will be no more drinks for you this evening, dear Derek." Velia huffed at him. He scoffed after she looked back at Link. "I do believe it will be best if we tone done our efforts for a few weeks, though. We can make the Hylian Guard believe we are dying out, and it will be much more beneficial to steal only a few things rather than have all of our organization members arrested."

"It is not stealing," Link defended, "it is the 'reorganization of wealth in our cruddy town we call home'."

"Call it whatever you want, hun." Velia winked and then turned around as someone from the other side of the bar waved for her attention.

"Justified stealin'." Derek pointed at Link. "I like the way you think."

Link smiled briefly at his friend.

"But no joke, Link. I had a run in with the guards a few days ago. They seem to have increased the amount of men they have around town, and it is getting dangerous for everyone to do their jobs. Do you know why the guard has suddenly started walking all around Castle Town at every moment of the day?"

Link shifted in his seat to face Derek. "I think people are becoming more panicked as the Gerudo become more powerful and the Hero of Time isn't reborn."

"I honestly think he's gone and no one should rely on a dead man anymore. It's been years, man. He died when I was a baby, and that was a ilong/i time ago. It's never taken the Hero more than a few days, if not a week or two to be reborn. But it's been a little over thirty years and there still is no Hero."

"People are stubborn." Link pointed out.

"Clingin' on to hope that isn't there." Derek scoffed, taking a swig of his drink with an angered expression. Suddenly, his whole demeanor changed as a look of realization crossed his features. "Hey, we should do something about it."

"We are." Link replied with a confused tone.

"Nah, not like that." Derek said as he waved his hand. "I mean, why don't we start trying to give people a reason to hope?"

"Like what?"

"Like, uhm, we could do what the Hylian Guards don't do and fight Gerudo off!"

Link furrowed his eyebrows. "Really? I'd like to see you face an army of Gerudo alone. Especially after a drink like that one in your hand."

"We wouldn't be alone," Derek frowned, "and booze makes everything better."

"I admire your determination, but you really think a band of thief vigilantes like us can stand up to the Gerudo? Besides," Link gestured toward Velia, "half of them are here for free food and to talk to her. I surely don't want people like that defending me."

"Yer always so pessimistic, Link. You gotta look up with a little hope every now and again."

"Hey," Link responded threateningly, "I'm just being realistic. The Hylian Guard could be so much better. If I didn't dislike them so much, I'd go volunteer to be a knight and then tell everyone how to do their damn job. It's sad when a nineteen year old who doesn't have a home knows more about military matters than the head of the Hylian Guard does."

Derek shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows what His Majesty and the Princess do in their castle."

"Hardly care about us regular people." Link sneered quietly.

"You should try thinking a little more hopefully toward the future. We aren't dead yet. That's a plus. Be happy with that, man."

With that, Derek turned and left while drinking from his glass. He walked over to talk to another guy who was probably much more enthusiastic about hope than Link was. Link frowned, finding nothing wrong with his realistic yet pessimistic attitude toward their situation. He believed Hyrule was probably doomed since the time they realized the Hero of Time wouldn't be reincarnated, but he was more angered by the fact the King and the Princess had done little to help their kingdom. While Hyrule continued to go about their days with fear and panic hidden in their expressions, the King and the Princess did very little. The biggest thing they did was increase the amount of Hylian Guards guarding Castle Town, but that didn't calm anyone much. It just made his life more difficult, especially when he tried to do his job at night.

Link angrily slammed his drink down with a loud thud, not even in the mood to finish it. He slid out of his seat in a hurry and snatched his sword, clenching his fists around it as he left without a word. Velia called to him, asking if he was alright, but stopped when she realized his mood. He remained silent as he walked briskly toward the stairs leading to the quieter second floor. A headache was the last thing he needed.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay in this chapter. I had to work out some heavy kinks, and I have been super busy. The good news is that I have several of the following chapters already written that just need editing. They should hopefully come out sooner than this one had. :)

Thanks for the reviews!


	3. Chapter 2

Castle Town's market was always busy around high noon as the crowds of people traveled from vendor to vendor, buying the goods they needed. Despite the crumbling economy, Hyrule still went about its normal business in the market, despite a lingering fear and sadness that followed the people.

Walking along with the crowds, a young woman with long brown hair and dark blue eyes blended in perfectly with the people around her. Just as any normal Hylian walking about, she stopped at a few vendors, buying simple foods and items. She went about her business, offering smiles to the many owners that greeted her.

As she entered a bakery, an old man piped up happily. "Oh my, the lovely young Blue Oscabellow has decided to come to my humble shop once again."

"I may be young, but I wouldn't say I am lovely, sir." Blue flashed a light smile. "But I thank you for your compliment."

The old man laughed as he traveled to a back room behind the counter. "Make sure you extend my greetings to your mother and brother as well. I assume you have come for your usual? Your mother seems very fond of my baking."

Blue curiously leaned over to look into the doorway. "Yeah, well, that and she's terrible at making bread so she just orders me to go buy some."

Reappearing with a few loaves of wheat bread, he handed them over the counter with a smile. "I could offer her lessons, if she is willing."

Taking the bread quickly, Blue snorted in amusement. "Oh, she'd claim she's much too busy taking care of two children than to take baking lessons."

"Ah, I'm sure her hands are full with your little brother, aren't they?"

Blue shrugged, handing the old man a few rupees before bowing her head. "Yes they are. Forgive me, I can't stay and chat. She'll give me an hour long lecture about not being careful if I don't arrive back home within the hour."

After a brief farewell, Blue left the building and stepped back into the warming midday sun. It was late spring, with nearly perfect weather and crystal clear skies. Blue inwardly scowled, irritated by having to waste her time by helping her mother run basic chores. However, she had grown quite accustomed to it, her life becoming buisner after her father's death.

Pushing that memory back swiftly before she upset herself, Blue made her way home, offering apologies to anyone she accidently stepped in front of or bumped in to. They gave her irritated and angered looks in response.

In Hyrule's decline, the citizens had not only grown fearful and desperate, but they had also grown angered and impatient. Due to these circumstances, Blue tried her best to keep her head low.

Luckily, she didn't mind keeping to herself. However, Blue grew more impatient every day as she watched Hyrule continue to decline. She wanted more than to help, but instead she was locked inside her home all day, confined to its tiny, claustrophobic rooms.

Silently she walked through town with muddled thoughts until she nearly tripped over the steps leading toward her house. She gasped, regaining her footing as she tightened her grip on the satchel she was carrying.

_Nayru dammit._

"Sister!"

Blue's head snapped up at the sound of a young boy's voice. At the top of the stairs her six year old brother Tye stood, face as happy as it could be. He practically jumped down the stairs, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You're back!"

Blue blinked, her previous frustrations fading away quickly with a smile. "I was only gone for a little bit."

"Well, it still feels like forever. Oh, Jake came by looking for you! He said he promised to take me outside and go on adventures!"

"On adventures?"

Tye's blue eyes shined brightly up at her. "Yes, he said we could go on adventures like heroes do!"

"Like heroes do?" Blue laughed down at him.

"Like heroes do." A familiar masculine voice chuckled out behind them.

Blue turned around to see the source of the voice, but was quickly pushed aside as Tye practically threw himself off of her and to the man.

"Hey!" Jake grunted out in slight pain, stunned by the boy's sudden attack. "Careful there, little buddy."

"Jake! You're late! Let's go already!"

Blue laughed as Tye dangled from Jake's limbs. Jake was a rather handsome Hylian, well built will black hair and green eyes. She was also thankful he kept a rambunctious Tye out of her hair, if only for a little bit.

"We'll run around, and you can get me a sword, and we can shoot arrows, and we can pretend to save Hyrule!" Tye shouted, jumping backwards and raising a fist to the air. "We'll be just like the Heroes of Time!"

Blue raised her eyebrows as she looped the satchel around Tye's arm. "I don't think mother would appreciate you going around being like the Heroes of Time."

"But they're the greatest! I can't wait for the new one! I want to meet them!"

Blue glanced at Jake, noticing how he frowned for a moment before speaking up. "I think you should take that to your mother," he gestured to the satchel, "that sounds like an adventure."

Tye's eyes widened with excitement before he flew up the house steps and into the building.

"I think your mother should look in to getting that boy something to calm him down." Jake gave Blue a faked look of exhaustion, placing a hand on the back of his neck.

"He's six."

"Six and a half."

She frowned. "Still six."

Jake placed his arm around her shoulder. "Yeah. He's a good boy."

Blue pat his hand lightly while leading him up the steps. "Why did you drop by earlier? Tye told me about your promise, which I hope you intend to keep."

"What, I can't drop by to see a pretty lady?" Jake tightened his grip around her shoulders while laughing.

Blue felt momentarily flustered. "I was just wondering."

"Jake!" She heard her mother shout as the two of them climbed up the last step. "Glad to see you again so soon! You were here just an hour ago."

"Hello again, Evelyn." Jake grinned as he bowed his head in acknowledgement.

Evelyn waited for them patiently in the doorstep, her stern face and dark blue eyes set on the couple. She was a woman in her forties with long brown hair and painted lips. Her voice always had a commanding tone, ready to protect her children at all costs. Blue knew she meant well, but being locked up almost every day and night wasn't exactly very fun.

"Tye delivered what you bought. Thank you, Blue. Please, please, come inside. You are more than welcome, Jake. Our home is your home, anytime."

Her mother had a liking for Jake, though Blue had a feeling Jake was seen as her future spouse. While he was nice and Blue didn't mind too much, she wished her mother would stay out of every aspect of her personal life.

"Thank you." Jake stated simply, following Evelyn inside. Blue attempted to keep in step behind him.

"Jake had some interesting news earlier, Blue. Has he told you?" Her mother looked at her with a knowing smile.

Blinking, Blue could feel a brief wave of anxiety bubbling. "No. What is it?"

"Don't ruin it before I tell her." Jake frowned at Evelyn.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"What is it?" Blue interrupted quickly.

The two of them paused to look at her curiously before turning towards each other. Taking the hint, Evelyn made her way out of the room.

"I found a place to work," Jake began, "and a place I'd like to live at all to myself."

The stamen made Blue's heart life up. "You'll be a knight?"

"Oh no, being a knight is far too dangerous, just like your mother said. But I do have a more important question: would you like to live with me?"

Anxiety rose again as her face flushed, her smile falling. Trying to avoid his sudden question, she looked away. "I- I thought you were going to be a knight?"

Jake scoffed. "Knights don't do anything but put themselves in harm's way for nothing."

Underneath her embarrassment and anxiety, Blue felt her anger spark briefly. "No they don't. You said you were going to sign up. What happened to that?"

Jake frowned, obviously displeased by her accusation. "I didn't promise you I would. Besides, I think working away from the military would be better."

"So we can be like everyone else in this Nayru forsaken city and sit on our butts doing nothing?" Blue sneered. "I was proud of you for suggesting joining the Hylian Knights."

Jake folded his arms, leaning back onto his heels. "I thought you'd be happy about this. What has made you so angry all of a sudden?"

"I'm not angry," Blue defended, "I'm disappointed."

Jake raised an eyebrow, his arms tightening. "I don't need your disappointment. You should be happy. Besides, you can't tell me what I can and cannot do."

"Why would I be happy?" Her voice started to rise. "You could be a knight and help make a difference!"

"Why is that so important to you?" Jake sighed, unfolding his hands. "I won't end up like your father if I stay out of the military."

Blue felt her muscles tense suddenly, casting Jake a cold, bitter glare. She didn't need to say anything to convey her complete and utter annoyance at his comment.

"What?" Jake defended. "It's true."

Her anger prickling, Blue looked away from him. "That was entirely unnecessary."

Jake shrugged. "Your mother agrees with me. She doesn't want you anywhere near any Nayru forsaken military matters."

"That is because my mother _adores_ you!" Blue shot out, her composer slipping.

Jake frowned, stepping forward and reaching out for her. "You're making a big deal over absolutely nothing."

"It is a big deal!" She shouted, her voice probably loud enough for her mother to hear. She back away from Jake's grasp.

"Hey, calm down!" Jake managed to grab her wrists. "I think we should think about this logically. That way we don't fight."

Not wishing to discuss anything more, Blue ducked away from him and made her way out the door. Jake quickly took off after her, keeping his pace a few steps behind.

"You're making a big deal over nothing! Trust me."

"I am not making a big deal over nothing. If you won't do anything to help this poor place of a town you call a home, then I will." Blue spoke out bitterly as she continued walking, not even glancing over her shoulder.

"What, you're going to apply for the Hylian Guard yourself? Do I have to remind you they don't take any women into their ranks?"

"No." Blue shot back coldly, continuing to keep her gaze away from him.

Jake's voice suddenly conveyed annoyance. "What're you gonna' do? Just going to waltz up to the Knights and beg? You aren't skilled in any weapon, for starters. Please, just stop and lets talk this out."

"I'm swift, I can hold my own, and I'm clever. I'll figure something out."

"When have you ever had to 'hold your own' against anyone in your life under your mother's supervision?"

Blue continued to ignore Jake's comments, making her way briskly toward the center of Castle Town. She really didn't have a destination and simply wanted to try to walk off her anger, yet Jake had apparently thought she was making her way toward the barracks on the opposite end of the city. She made her way quickly, trying to avoid the man behind her. His footsteps grew faster and before she knew it, he had seized her upper arm and pulled her into a side alley where he could have her full attention alone.

"You need to calm down and think rationally. Please?"

Blue pursed her lips, saying nothing as she attempted to wiggle her arm out of his grasp. She felt her annoyance grow since he easily overpowered her in strength and held her back.

"You aren't going anywhere. In fact, why don't we just go home? You're so worked up that you probably aren't thinking clearly. I'll escort you home, alright?"

Blue managed to slip her slender arm from his grasp, but felt his heavy words sink in. Jake was always more rational than she was, and he was probably right.

"Besides, I'd rather not have you make a fool of yourself and have it subjected to gossip around town. It'll make us all look bad."

She scrunched her nose in disgust, sighing heavily as she accepted defeat. Jake reached out to grab her arm, but she quickly jerked back.

"Let's just go. I'll follow you." She replied curtly.

Jake seemed to visibly relax at her defeat, a pleased smile on his face. She refused to look at him, however. She was still annoyed at his reluctance to help her do anything or his constant need to put her opinions down. She briefly wondered why she even had him in her life.

"Great. Let's get back. I'll let you think about my proposition from earlier a little while longer. I'm sure you can talk it over with your mother as well." Jake said happily as he started to walk away. Blue kept a few paces back from him, trying to ignore the story he was telling about how he had landed the job offer in the market he had spoken about earlier. All she wanted was to be home and left alone right now, and it was an uninteresting story anyway.

* * *

Hi guys. Sorry, the last few weeks of college for this semester were so busy, and now my laptop is dying so I had to order a new one!

Since the only thing I CAN do on this dying computer now is write write write, I talked to one of my beta readers and I was able to fix this up and post it!

Here are more OCs. I am sorry. Also, as for inquiries on pairings in this story, it is an Action/Drama for the first book. The only pairing will be the two in this chapter, Blue and Jake. :) That is- for now they will be the only pairing... Lol! /evil cackling/ But that is for far later in the story/books I have planned.

As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!


	4. Chapter 3

The next few days moved by slowly. Link found himself bored for about the umpteenth time that week, trying to lie low from the Guard. As Velia and the other thieves predicted, the Guard increased the amount of soldiers they stationed around the city. Anytime he attempted to leave the inn, Velia pulled him back in by his collar, scolding him like a mother. She always said he was much too valuable to the Thieves Guild to be caught. After a few failed attempts, Link decided it would be easier to obey his boss's orders and just sit quietly in a corner with his feet on a table.

He attempted to busy himself with anything, whether it was simple conversation or playing the piano Velia had acquired for entertainment in the inn. It would easily help calm his frustrations to play any type of music, as people came by frequently complimenting him. He enjoyed music, but as the days went on, he found himself struggling to stay put. Velia had offered to tie him to the counter if that would make him feel better, but he wasn't exactly in the mood for her jokes. Somehow she managed to convince Link to help her with the daily running of the inn, which calmed his frustrations and bit.

It was around noon on a workday when Link was helping Velia stack a few dishes behind the counter. He was only half listening to her ridiculous story about drunken, overconfident men. Currently, the inn was barren, an atmosphere that bored Link out of his mind. It wasn't like they could do anything else; Velia had to make the inn seem normal to the Hylian Guard. He was impatient for nightfall since the inn was always much busier at night, especially since it was the central base for the Guild. After all, night brought a sense of secrecy and safety. He absentmindedly wondered about tonight's plans before his thoughts were interrupted by the gentle ring of the front door opening.

Velia was always quick to react to customers and turned her head to greet them happily. Link barely had time to turn his own head before he felt Velia grab him roughly by the hair and shove him forcefully under the bar counter.

"Velia—!"

She shushed him quickly, returning her attention to the guests. She had a pleasing smile plastered over her features as she leaned over the counter, her face disappearing from his view.

"Hello, good sirs. To what do I owe the pleasure of having some grand knights in my inn?" Velia's cheerful voice rang.

"The King has ordered that we inspect each building for signs of criminal activity. Not only do we have thieves running rampant, but a few Gerudo women were spotted lurking around the outskirts of Castle Town. We aim to keep our town safe, madam." A young man's voice spoke out, followed by the clanking of some armor as they walked closer to the counter.

"Oh," Velia sounded mildly surprised, "Gerudo near the town?"

"Concern yourself little with this matter, my lady, and please allow us to search the inn rooms, as well as this dining area, the cellar, and any other rooms you currently have."

"Right, right," Velia leaned back from the counter enough to where Link could see her face, "I'll grab my keys and I will escort you upstairs. I need to unlock the rooms for you fine men."

She opened a drawer under the countertop quietly, shifting so she could reach it while nudging Link with her boot during the process. Picking up on her hint, he nodded.

"All right, my lady," the knight took the bait and Link heard the shuffle of armor, "thank you for your willingness to comply."

Velia made her way around the counter, putting on a very believable act. She had always been a good actress. "Right this way, sirs. There are not a lot of people staying in the rooms currently so it'll be easy to check them."

Link waited patiently under the counter as he listened to Velia climb the steps to the second floor, followed by the rattle of at least three more guards following her. He was very uncomfortable hiding under the wooden counter, trying to make sure the guards couldn't even hear him. When the rustle of armor had ended, he poked his head out of his hiding place.

There was no one in the room so Link quickly took the opportunity to bolt out of his hiding place and rush to the front door. Grabbing his small sword and attaching it to his belt, Link quickly gathered some belongings and pulled a cloak over his shoulders. Still trying to be cautious for fear of more guards, he checked for the gleam of more armor outside before he opened the door and fled. He made his way toward the restless crowd of Hylians to hide in plain sight.

_Finally,_ he thought,_ my chance to get out of this stuffy inn._

With a silent smile, he pulled the hood of his dark cloak over his head.

* * *

High noon again, and Blue found herself doing more family chores, trying to busy herself with anything to keep her nagging thoughts at bay. The last few days had been nothing but displeasing conversation with Jake, annoyed scolding from her mother, and constant annoyances from her little brother. She kept her head low, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

For a spring day, it was unusually hot. Hot days inevitably made the people irritable, which led to petty gossip. A few times that week she heard that Gerudo had been spotted around Castle Town, and the news sent some people into a panic. Hyrule's forces were not ready for another battle with the Gerudo, and no one had heard anything important from the King or Princess on the matter. The royal family was simply locked away and soldiers were posted all around the city.

Some Knights had come to her family's door, much to her surprise, and her mother was forced aside as the Hylian Knights inspected their home for any signs of criminal activity. Rumors went around claiming that certain families had been harboring Gerudo; all of which turned out to be false. At least, from what she knew.

Blue dragged her feet along the warm cobblestones of the market, buying daily supplies for her mother. She stopped at the appropriate stalls, feeling somewhat drained from her constant boredom. She didn't bother with small talk and simply paid for the supplies and left.

As Blue continued on, completely unaware of her surroundings, she barely realized when someone approached her. Without thinking, Blue ran into the figure, jerking her head up suddenly and murmuring confused apologies as she backed away.

"I'm sorry—I didn't mean—I wasn't—"

"Hey!" A familiar feminine voice rang out in front of her. "I haven't seen you in what feels like ages!"

Cheerful brown eyes peered at her through messy brown bangs and Blue felt relieved to see her good friend's face.

"Ariza—"

"You don't just plow into your friends. Your mother never taught you proper manners. Eugh." Ariza feigned annoyance, crossing her arms with a smirk. Ariza was always one to tease and greatly enjoyed poking at her friends. She also preferred to be called Ari. "It's also rude to become a hermit and ignore your friends for a few days. I thought you fell off the face of the planet!"

For once, Blue smiled and felt her spirit lift with Ari's remark. "I'm sorry. I had a busy and… eventful few days, I guess."

"You guess? Huh," Ari pursed her lips, inspecting her friend with mild frustration, "you could at least write a letter, or leave something on my doorstep. I don't know."

Blue rolled her eyes but was suddenly aware that they were standing in the middle of the market street. Cold, annoyed faces kept greeting them as people weaved around the two girls.

"Hey, let's get over to the side. People are glaring at us."

"Right, right!" Ari agreed quickly, grabbing her friend's forearm and leading her through the crowd to the curb. "Though it's not like we have a reputation to keep up or anything. Lots of people are irritable anyway. I guess hot days cause mood swings. Weird."

Blue snorted in laughter.

"So what have you been up to?" Ari turned on her heels, arms crossing over her chest. "You aren't normally this closed off from me. I won't lie when I say I feel left out."

Blue removed the satchel she was carrying and placed it next to her. "I'm sorry. Like I said, it's been a busy few days. Jake came by to see me the other day and brought some… interesting news. Let's just say the conversation didn't exactly end well."

"What?" Ari frowned, her arms tightening as she leaned forward. "What'd you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything," Blue defended, "it was just—I'd rather not talk about it. It was dumb of me to do what I did. I've already apologized for it."

"Fine, fine," Ari waved her hand dismissively, "well, my last few days have been boring as I'll get out. This is the first day I actually have been out of the house. You were normally my savior from a life of monotony."

"Sorry, I'll remember to be your savior more often from now on." Blue vowed rather amusingly.

Ari smiled and started to say something, but shut her mouth quickly. Blue watched curiously as her friend's eyes left hers and focused on something in the alley behind them. Suddenly alarmed, Blue glanced over her shoulder.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no, I-" Ari began, obviously flustered for a moment before she pointed down the alley, "I just… did you see anything?"

With a shrug, Blue stated, "Well, it's an alley. People walk in them every day."

Ari raised an eyebrow, casting her friend a pointed look.

After a moment of silence, Ari spoke again, her normally cheery demeanor faded from her voice as she placed a hand on her hip. "Have you heard the rumors going around about Gerudo? Have you seen them?"

"I heard they're just rumors. People like to start tales to make interesting gossip. Though it seems like the Hylian Guard has taken the rumors seriously. They pretty much pushed my mother out of the way and stormed out house looking for fugitives. It took a while to calm Tye down from all of the commotion."

"They stormed into my place too, spouting out threats like how they were going to arrest everyone in the house if they found a single trace of a thief or a Gerudo."

"The thieves are no better than the Gerudo." Blue scoffed. "I hear some of them claim they are helping the town, but they are just causing more of a fuss."

"Yeah," Ari nodded in agreement, "though I saw a cloaked figure sneaking around the alley before it noticed my look and fled. Maybe we should… investigate?"

"What?" Blue sputtered in surprise, although she felt a hint of excitement. "We go investigating? What would people think if they saw two teenage girls wandering around an alley all alone?"

"Well, it sounds like more fun than sitting here doing nothing." Ari piped up, her cheerful tone returning with a hint of excitement. "You always say you want to at least do something for Hyrule. Well, let's do something."

"Well I, uhm, I guess I do but do we really—"

"You're faster than me. I'll cover your back. If something goes wrong, I'll grab a guard." Ari clapped her friend's shoulder. "If it is something suspicious and we report it, you can at least say you did something good for Hyrule."

Giving Ari a hesitant glance, Blue picked up her satchel and threw it over her shoulder before she started off down the alley with light footsteps, maneuvering over discarded crates and garbage. Ari was not far behind, keeping an eye behind them and ready to bolt at any minute.

Feeling a tad stupid for thinking this was even remotely safe, Blue sucked in her breath as she looked at her friend behind her, "this seems stupid."

"Don't quit on me now!" Ari shot back quietly. "Keep going. Where is your sense of adventure?"

Reaching the corner, she pressed herself to the wall as tight as she could and peered around the corner. Much to her surprise, the figure was still there, crouched low to the ground in hiding and covered in a thick dark hood. It was already hot, it must have been sweltering under the cloak, yet if the figure was Gerudo it was probably no issue. Gerudo were used to the heat in their desert.

She studied the figure for a second longer, seeing the tip of a small sword poking out from under the cloak that dragged on the ground. Blue didn't have time to make out anything else before the figure turned around, as if it sensed her gaze. She imitated the action, hiding behind the wall away from the figure's sight.

Blue glanced down the alley to see Ari a few paces away, eagerness in her eyes as she awaited any type of answer. Blue nodded quickly, despite the pit that began to form in her gut. She began to silently make her way over to Ari, causing her friend's eyes to widen. Taking it as a sign, Ari turned and bolted down the alley in search of a guard.

Blue attempted to follow her friend but was cut short by a hand grabbing the back of her shirt collar, jerking her roughly to a halt and causing her to stumble backwards.

"Now what're _you_ up to?" A lower voice spoke out behind her.

_Oh no. Oh Din._

Feeling a larger hand sneak its way around her collar, the cloaked figure grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her around violently. She felt her stomach drop and her heart leap in her throat, instantly cursing herself for letting her curiosity and stubbornness get her into this situation.

She came face to face with the hooded figure, surprised to see a piercing gaze staring back at her and not the slanted eyes of a Gerudo. In fact, the person in front of her had no Gerudo features at all, aside from a big nose. The cloaked figure was a man, a young one in fact, and he had thick blonde bangs hanging over his pointed, angular eyes and face. She could also see the faint outline of long pointed ears sticking out from behind his hair, alerting her instantly that he was indeed Hylian.

"Don't think I didn't catch you spying on me." He sneered out in a low voice, interrupting her thoughts. His grip on her collar tightened.

With words caught in her throat, a simple "uhh" was all that came out.

"Uhh?" He mimicked.

"I just—I didn't—"

"_Why_ are you here?" He asked, pulling her face closer.

"You're not… Gerudo…" Blue answered dumbly, finding that the only thought she could coherently form.

The young man looked at her incredulously, although anger was still very apparent on his face. His grip on her collar only tightened again in a death grip. "What?"

"We saw you from the other end of the alley. We thought you may have been Gerudo. Or a—" Blue felt her entire body jolt with a sudden realization.

The blonde man huffed, obviously displeased with her inability to complete sentences. "A…?"

"A—a thief…"

_Where have I seen his face before?_

"If you know what is best for you, I suggest you leave me be and go about your own business." He threatened. "Leave."

He forcefully pushed her away, letting go of her collar. As she stumbled backwards, Blue's hands reached for her neck, rubbing where the fabric had dug into her skin. The hooded figure shot her one last leveled glare, and Blue felt her fear building.

_Ariza —the guards_—_they're coming. He will know we turned him in!_

As if on cue, a gruff "Halt!" echoed through the alley walls. Blue stiffened as the hooded figure jumped in surprise, suddenly alert and ready to dart.

"We received information about suspicious activity in the area!"

The young man in the cloak quickly turned around to dash off, only to find more guards approaching from all directions, surrounding them.

As Blue's fear continued to deepen, she quickly turned away to bolt from the thief.

"Nayru dammit! What is this? Are you here to collect a bounty?" The thief's shout echoed throughout the alley.

A large hand surged forward and grabbed the back of Blue's collar before she could flee. In surprise, she stuttered, "T-They're just guards—I don't know anything about any bounty, I swear I—"

The young man threw her down roughly, catching Blue by complete surprise as she was hurled down face first. Sputtering and grunting as she hit the stone street, she quickly turned over to stare at the thief and the approaching guards, realizing with another bolt of fear that Ariza was not among them.

_Where did she go?!_

"Remove your hood!" A guard bellowed, paying no attention to Blue as she looked up from her spot on the ground.

The thief cursed under his breath, loud enough for Blue to hear.

The gleam of silver armor surrounded them as the knights approached. Blue scrambled to her feet, gasping suddenly when two heavily clad guards came and restrained her.

Two guards attempted to do the same thing with the thief, who was much more violent than Blue was. More than two guards came up to retrain him.

"When did the King allow his Guard to assault people like this?" The young man snarled out as he jerked around, his face twitching in disgust.

"Quiet." An older guard bellowed out, raising an armor clad hand to strike the thief in order to shut him up. Grabbing the hood of his cloak, the knight yanked the cloth back violently enough to rip it. Long, puffy blonde hair fell around the thief's face, tied back in an unkempt and wild ponytail.

"Why, look at what we have here! We not only have our hands on Link, one of the most notorious wanted thieves on the streets, but we have one of his accomplices as well!"

_Link. That's how I know his face! It's been plastered all around the city on wanted posters. I should have—_ Blue's thoughts halted when she realized the entirety of what the guard said.

"Accomplice?!" She shouted, trying to pull herself away from the guard's restraints. "Wait, you are mistaken. I don't even know him!"

A younger guard laughed out, clamping shackles onto Link's wrists while talking. "Thank the goddesses. I cannot wait to tell the General that we have arrested Link and another thief. He will be thrilled. Won't he?"

"You've been a thorn in our sides for far too long, boy." The older guard restrained LInk's hands with a pair of heavy shackles and pulled him up tauntingly. "You won't elude us anymore, now will you?"

Another guard held out more shackles and clamped them to Blue's own wrists. They were cold and compressed down painfully. Mustering up any courage she had left, Blue looked up at Link's face.

She was met with a glare she had never seen before. It was cold and filled with contempt. He refused to say another word to anyone. It wasn't until a guard took his forearm and pulled him roughly forward did he stop glaring at her.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry if this update gets in anyone's inboxes twice. I changed the name of one of my OCs. Her name is Ariza now. Or Ari, whichever you prefer. :D

Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	5. Chapter 4

He couldn't believe what just happened. He refused to believe that, after all of his efforts to lie low from the Guard, an unbelievably rude and meddling girl had turned him in. It was humiliating, turned in and finally arrested by not only the idiotic Hylian Guard, but by this girl who obviously had no place.

While they were being detained, the guards stripped them of any weapons and had demanded their identities and occupations. Link hardly had to identify himself since the guards immediately recognized him. The young woman's name was Blue, she was unemployed, and lived with her mother and younger brother. That was the only information she gave before the guards pushed both Blue and him into their respective cells.

Link sat with his back against the wall, hardly caring if it was cold or not. The little light the jailhouse provided from a small barred window was beginning to fade, showing that a few hours had passed since their arrest and it was nearly nightfall.

Across from him was another dusty cell where Blue paced, her chains clanking as she searched around her cell desperately. He could tell from her posture that she was internally panicking while messing with her hands and fidgeting. She sighed nervously as she paced her cell and ran her fingers through long disheveled brown hair.

She glanced in his direction every now and again, opening her mouth as if to say something. Nothing ever came out and Link had no intentions of talking with her anyway. His whole entire being tingled with irritation at his situation, both at her and the Guard. The tension was palpable and she must have sensed it since she decided to remain silent.

They continued to sit in their cells silently for what seemed like forever as the jailhouse grew steadily darker. Blue's pacing had long stopped and she had decided to sit on the far end of her cell, purposely avoiding any confrontation.

Despite his annoyance, Link couldn't help but glance over. She was obviously from a higher class family with her neatly kept appearance and mildly fancy attire. He immediately assumed she was from a knightly family, making her a noble, which only increased his contempt for her. Noble girls had no place in his affairs, and since her father was most likely a knight, she must think the Hylian Guard and the Hylian Knights were the most amazing things ever. Which, most assuredly, they were not.

Muddling under his breath, Link couldn't keep his irritation to himself as he muttered out a cold, "your plan backfired."

Blue glanced up at him with confusion. "I didn't have a plan, and even if I did, it would definitely not involve this."

"Oh?" Link pressed on, feeling his bitterness increase by the second. "So tell me, what did you plan to do with the amount of rupees you were going to receive with my capture?"

"I didn't," she paused, sighing and shuffling with her hands, "I didn't know who you were. My friend and I assumed-"

"Don't assume anything about me."

Blue shuffled nervously as she tried to focus her attention on her hands. "Yes, I'm sorry." She paused again briefly, her expression lightening a bit as she spoke. "Though you are a thief, so I guess even if I did get arrested, I did do something halfway decent and got you arrested as well."

Link's eyebrows shot up as a sharp spark of anger shot through him. "What? I haven't done anything to you, yet you thought it perfectly acceptable to waltz your way up that alley and turn me in? Girls from knight families must feel _so_ entitled. Do enlighten me?"

"You assume I'm from a knight family? If I'm not allowed to assume anything about you, you aren't allowed to assume anything about me." Blue murmured.

Feeling his already thinning patience snap, Link whipped around to face her fully. "You came up to me, thinking you had free reign to do whatever you pleased. You shouldn't mettle in other people's affairs, certainly not mine. I told you to leave. I find it completely ironic that you got arrested too. Hopefully it teaches you a lesson."

"What?" Blue shot back, meeting the tone of his voice. "You and your thiefly, uh, friends, do nothing more than create more panic in this already deteriorating city! You could at least own up to it! You can't 'waltz' your own way around the city stealing anything you want for your own pleasure!"

"My own pleasure?" Link echoed. "You think all of that is for ourselves? Are you really that narrow minded and think that is all we do? Yes, Hyrule is falling, and instead of sitting around like you and your friends do, we actually do something about it. We steal from people like you, who have more money and fancy things than they need, and we redistribute it to the people who desperately need it. Besides, with that attitude, you most definitely don't deserve everything you have."

"Who made it so you thought that was completely legal and okay? Just because you think it does something good doesn't justify it."

Rolling his eyes, Link laughed bitterly, "I never said it was legal, I just said it helped. It's the best anyone can do for Hyrule right now."

"Join the Guard or the Knights!" Blue practically shouted back. "That is better than creating chaos in the streets!"

"The Guard? The _Knights_? You're _hysterical_. You really have no _idea_ how Hyrule is actually functioning right now. Haven't you heard the criers? Ever since the last Hero of Time died, Hylian soldiers have been so scattered and disorganized. They don't do anything now, in fact I think a lot of high ranking officials are corrupt. Since when have the Guard and the Knights done anything good after Klein's death?"

Blue huffed. "You sound like you know everything. Klein died before we were born, so we don't have firsthand knowledge on what really happened after his death."

"Trust me, you'd know the Guards and the Knights were failing if you actually went out and experienced Hyrule for what it really is rather than sitting in your home all day."

Just as Blue opened her mouth, the iron doors leading into the cell room opened with a creek, revealing a heavily clad guard holding a piece of paper in his hands. He coughed, obviously uncomfortable as he stared at the two inmates.

"Due to his impressive status on our most wanted list, Princess Zelda herself will be traveling here within the hour to review Link and his arrest. She will most likely request an audience with you as well, and conduct an interview to gauge the amount of information you may provide to us regarding the other thieves that have yet to be caught. Due to security risks, you will remain in your cell and the Princess will be escorted directly into this room to conduct the interview."

Mildly surprised, Link raised an eyebrow. "Oh, her oh so precious Majesty is coming to this dusty old place? Are you going to wash the floors and bathe us so her sensitive royal nose doesn't have the deal with any of this?"

Without reacting to Link's snide comments, the guard bowed stiffly as he closed the doors with a muffled, "good day."

After a few moments of silence, Blue looked up. "Why would Princess Zelda come here herself?"

"I must be popular."

"Very..." Blue mumbled with displeasure as she turned her face away and crossed her arms. "... why not the King?"

"I haven't heard anything about him lately." Link shrugged, choosing to turn away from her as well and set his gaze on the dirty bricks making up his cell. "Who even knows if he's alive?"

"Well, she wouldn't be 'Princess' anymore, for starters-"

"So where is your pretentious father and mother to get you out of here, huh?" He interrupted, not wishing to continue the currently conversation. Blue had obviously been trying to change the subject to prevent anymore arguing.

"Wow," Blue's muffled voice shot out with annoyance, "I tried to at least have a halfway decent conversation with you, but whatever. I see growing up as a thief stripped you of any decency, or dignity for that matter."

Clenching his fists and resisting the urge to punch something, Link scowled and attempted to keep his heated gaze on the wall of the cell. He wasn't about to reason or have a conversation with this woman anytime soon, so he simply sat there in his own thoughts, reluctantly waiting for the arrival of the ever so lovely Princess.

* * *

A few hours later, the heavy iron doors broke the intense silence as they opened with a sharp creek. A guard walked in, heavily armored and holding a large spear. A few guards who were following also entered, lining up around the room and standing at attention.

Sitting up straight at the sudden commotion, Link slid over to the bars of his cell to get a better look at the door.

Blue scrambled to stand up while attempting to clean off her ruined clothes, patting clothes and hair down to a more presentable look. They hadn't spoken since their argument, but it was obvious Blue was still flustered with the situation.

A guard stepped up, his armor clanking as he saluted.

"Presenting, her Majesty, Princess Zelda of Hyrule!"

All of the guards saluted after the announcement, the clanking of gauntlets hitting metal clad chests echoing throughout the room. The gentle clanking of heels followed soon after as Princess Zelda herself, dressed up in one of the most regal gowns Link had ever seen with painted lips, styled blonde hair, and a lightly powdered face, strode into the room. Following her was a tall white haired woman with a piercing red gaze and sharp eyes. Confirming his amazement, she wore the Sheikah symbol across her chest, indicating she was part of the ancient supposedly extinct race.

Sheikah were a race of people famed for their skills in dark arts and elusiveness. The Thieves of the Thieves Guild often took notes from the Sheikah ways and attempted to duplicate their skills. Supposedly hundreds of years ago the last of the Sheikah had vanished without a trace, yet here one stood, hands crossed over her chest as she gazed at him with contempt.

The Princess nodded at her guards, who all lowered their salutes as Zelda stepped forward toward Link's cell. She wore a determined expression, though Link could see that underneath she was mildly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Hello. Despite what my advisors have said about you and how I should speak to you, I will try to regard you as a regular Hylian and treat you as such."

Link scoffed. "How wonderful."

"Who is this?" Princess Zelda's attention shot to her Sheikah attendant as she lifted her hand towards Blue. "I was not informed of another criminal."

"She is none of our concern, Princess. A random thief caught with him in the arrest."

Blue's expression lifted, "Wait! I am not-"

In a sudden whirl, several spears were pointed at Blue, interrupting her as she retreated quickly to the back of her cell with hands raised in surrender.

"Only speak when you are permitted." The Sheikah's dark voice spoke out.

Blue nodded quickly before the guards lowered their spears.

Turning her attention to Link, Zelda spoke professionally. "Well now, I have heard your name before Link. You are one of the most notorious criminals within our streets here in Castle Town. You've made yourself quite infamous. I do believe you know a lot about your organization seeing as how you have been part of it for so long, which I would like you to enlighten me with."

"What?" Link raised his voice a little, which made Zelda's eyes widen a bit as she took a small step away from his cell. "You honestly think I'd give away my co-workers, my boss, and my entire organization? You must be _joking_."

"I do not joke, Link." Zelda straightened as she attempted to stand her ground. "I also do not joke when I say that we will get the information out of you, one way or another."

Raising his eyebrow in curiosity, Link smirked. "Oh? You might as well punish me now, because I am not giving away the location or identities of any thief."

"Impa," Zelda spoke softly toward the white haired Sheikah, "please inform the watchmen that Link seems to refuse to cooperate."

Impa nodded as she bowed and exited the room quietly.

"You will receive no meals until we transfer you to the castle dungeons, where you will be kept in high security solitude."

"Sounds wonderful." Link scoffed, unimpressed by the punishment.

"You should hopefully be transferred within the next day or so."

"Once again, Princess, sounds wonderful."

Zelda's eyes narrowed as she listened to Link's seeming indifference toward the situation. "As much as the Hylian court has resisted using this method, we will resort to much more... _painful_ methods of interrogation if you do not cooperate. It is very important that we find the thief organization and shut it down before it degrades Castle Town further."

Link chose to remain silent this time, leveling a glare toward the Princess. She could honestly do her worst and he was still fairly certain he would never give out the locations or names of his Velia or his co-workers. Hyrule needed the Thieves Guild, and he wasn't about to contribute to the fall of his kingdom.

"We are done here since the criminal is not going to tell us the required information. I need to speak with my attendant outside. Guards, please follow."

Zelda gave Link one last sidelong glance before turning toward the door and exiting, the echo of her heels followed by the clanking of the guards heavy boots as the entire party followed her out.

After the guards left, Link leaned over toward Blue's cell and smiled. "Looks like I get the extra special criminal treatment."

* * *

Nighttime came slowly while sitting in the jailhouse. Link spoke to Blue a few more times after Zelda had left. His bitterness had long faded so the conversations did not escalate to arguments very often. Blue had very little knowledge on anything having to do with the current state of the Guard or the Knights, so Link elaborated for her. He didn't know whether she was generally interested or just tried to humor his ideas, but she argued less and listened more as Link gave her the basics of how the kingdom was actually running and how close it was to complete collapse.

He was mildly surprised that a noble girl had any interest in any of this or why she even wanted to help Hyrule at all. Most noble people had very little interest in how Hyrule was currently running and blindly followed the King and Princess's decisions. Blue sounded almost genuine in wanting to help, but had no opportunities to do so.

Despite everything, Blue still found issues with the Thieves Guild and how it operated. She stated that there had to be other, less illegal ways to help Hyrule. They had been talking about it for a while before another voice added to their conversation.

"Blue Oscabellow?" A guard echoed out as the doors leading into the jailhouse creaked open yet again. "You have two visitors."

Link looked up as an older, sharper, stern looking version of Blue walked into the room, hands folded across her chest. Her lips were painted red and her gaze bore into the cell the younger girl was sitting in.

"I cannot believe you!" The older woman shot out angrily, voice echoing off the stone walls. "What did you _do_?"

"Mother-"

"Sister!" A younger, brunette boy squealed out as he appeared from behind the older woman. "I thought you got lost!"

"Hush!" The older woman scolded the boy, who immediately withdrew and stood back.

Blue stood up quickly and made her way over to her family. "This is all a big mistake. Did Ariza visit you and explain?"

"Yes," Her mother frowned, the poor light of the jailhouse making her features darker, "however your excuses do not justify this. I worried where you had scurried off to all day, only to receive information just an hour ago that you were _arrested_! I cannot believe you. I had to walk out here in the middle of the night, dragging Tye along with me, to bail you out of _jail_?"

"Mother, I'm sorry-"

"I don't want your apologies!" Her mother whirled around, focusing her attention on the guard present in the room. "I'm ready to pay for my daughter's release. This was all a misunderstanding, from what I can gather. At least, I _hope_ it was." She leveled a glare to Blue, who avoided her gaze by looking at the floor.

The guard nodded and left. After a few moments of awkward silence, more guards appeared, unlocking Blue's cell and escorting her out.

"It must be nice," Link sneered, flicking his gaze between Blue and her mother, "to have the power and money to bail your daughter out of jail. Money can now buy everything, can't it?"

"I do not associate with criminals." The older woman huffed in reply. "Neither will my children."

"Sure then, leave. It's ignorant families like you with money and power who help contribute to Hyrule's decline. You have more money than you need, unnecessary luxuries, and step on those who are lesser than you. If I was your equal, you'd speak to me without a second thought, but since I'm deemed a criminal, you think you have the right to shun me."

The older woman ignored his comment as she ushered her children out of the jailhouse. Blue turned to look back at Link once, mild curiosity on her face before her mother grabbed her arm and shoved her forward.

_Goodbye and good riddance then_, he thought.

* * *

**A/N**: Hi guys! Sorry for the long time between the update, but now I'm back in college. Ironically, I'm more productive during college with my writing and art than I am during the summer. Despite being busy with college work. Lol!

As always, thank you for reading and reviewing! Things are starting to heat up lol See you next chapter! :D


	6. Chapter 5

One part of her felt that this was very right.

The other part of her told her this was horrendously _wrong_.

Quickly Blue snatched up her cloak, the cloak her father had worn a lot during his military service. He had gifted it to her while ago, and despite the fact it didn't quite fit, she gladly wore it anytime she could. She quickly secured it over her shoulders and silently made her way out of her house, making sure her brother and mother were fast asleep.

It had to be at least three in the morning, if not later. The streets of Castle Town were barren, aside from a few guards keeping watch. The moon was barely visible and there were no stars, making the entire town dark aside from the few flickers of torch lights along the main streets and the torches guard patrols carried. Using the almost pitch black night to her advantage, she quickly made her way through the streets to toward her destination.

Her mother was absolutely right. You should never associate yourself with criminals, let alone notorious and very hostile ones. Yet lying in bed with so much newfound knowledge from the thief made her skin crawl with anxiousness and her mind unable to rest. Was he right? Was he right in saying it was okay for him and his organization to redistribute the wealth in the town? Was he right saying that the Hylian Guard and the Hylian Knights were corrupt and powerless?

As she padded through the alleys and streets, making sure to lie low from the Guard, she knew deep down that no, he was not right. Link had an arrogance about him, an arrogance that he displayed proudly. He seemed cold, aloof, and barely caring of anything other than himself. Growing up on the streets could do that to you, Blue supposed. But she knew so very little about him at all. Perhaps he was just naturally rude. Perhaps his coldness came from a lack of social skills. Perhaps his arrogance came from inner self-hatred. Perhaps it was something far deeper.

Whatever it was, Blue felt herself tingle with anticipation. Not once in her life was she given an opportunity to know. Not once was she every given the option to dive in and find out just how bad Hyrule _really_ was. She knew it was wrong to pry, but Link's knowledge gave her that option she wanted. She had that opportunity to know. Her mother kept her sheltered, and Jake hovered over her like a lion stalking his prey. Despite his coldness, she saw Link as a sudden opportunity.

_But how_ _will I get him to tell me everything?_

Link's distaste for her did not go unnoticed. Why would he help her? What incentive did she have over him?

As she rounded the corners of the streets, halting suddenly every now and again as a patrol passed by, Blue mulled over what she could do to ever persuade knowledge out of a thief who had little to gain from her.

_Could I... assist in his escape?_

Suddenly she froze, her thoughts jarring and her anxiety rising. She pressed her back against a cold wall and stared at the ground.

Help _him_? Help one of Hyrule's most notorious criminals... _escape_? She was the one that got him arrested in the first place! Why help him? She could just go to him and demand to know everything he did. She was a higher class than he was. She held authority over him. With a simple word, she could alert the guards and request an audience with the criminal. Nobles didn't do it very often, but she supposed she could if she wanted to.

But Link was so closed off, not even admitting anything to Princess Zelda, who subtly threatened to _torture_ him in the dungeons if he did not talk.

She slipped off the wall and continued down the alley. She surprised herself when she looked up and saw the familiar silhouette of the jailhouse she had been in just a few hours earlier. Cautiously she approached, trying to control her thoughts and emotions as she scanned the building for any way to peer inside. To her relief, a barred window was in the far corner of the stone building, unreachable from her height.

She crawled at the side of the stone, trying her hardest to find any sort of leverage on the jagged rocks. With difficulty, she managed to catch both a hand and a foot on jutting stones and pulled herself up, gasping when she felt her foot slip off the rock. Instinctively she reached up and managed to grab another stone with her hand, dangling a bit off the ground before she heaved herself up and regained her proper footing. She was suddenly grateful her hands and feet were somewhat small. After a short bit of climbing, she heaved up and wrapped her hand around the sturdy bars of the jailhouse, pulling her full weight up so she could peer inside and link her arms around the bars.

Much to her relief, Link sat inside his cell furthest from the window, arms crossed and hunched over. She couldn't see his face since the shadows the lonely torch in the jailhouse gave provided little light, but she hoped he was at least halfway awake.

"Link?" She inquired quietly, hoping he heard her but the posted guards outside wouldn't. She pressed her face against the cold bars to get a better view.

Immediately his head snapped up, revealing wide yet somewhat tired eyes. He seemed confused at first, glancing around the jailhouse in search of her voice.

Seeing his confusion, she spoke up again, trying to keep her voice as soft as she could. "Up here, in the window."

"What?" Link's confusion shot out, his voice louder than hers. "Who-" he cut himself off as he stood in his cell, his shackles clanking. "Are you-" He cut off again as his gaze finally met hers hanging in the window. "... Blue?"

Blue felt a twinge of relief. "Oh great, you remembered me. That saved me from an awkward second introduction."

"What- what are you doing here?" Link inquired, his confusion blatantly obvious. "Didn't your mother bail you out?"

"Yes, but I-" she hesitated, trying not to sound so nervous, "I guess I, uh, came back."

"Obviously."

Feeling her footing slip a bit, Blue wrapped her arms around the bars tighter as she fought off her nervousness. "I want to ask, about what you said earlier. About the Guards and the Knights. About Hyrule-"

"You came in the dead of the night to ask me that? I thought you cared very little. In fact I do remember you mentioning at least once that they were amazing organizations that everyone should sign up for."

"That isn't it," Blue snapped, her patience with him threading as he attempted to argue with her yet again. "I came for more answers. Like why you think they're corrupt, or why you think your own organization of thieves are so much better than they are."

Even though they were separated by quite a respectable distance, Blue could see Link's expression shift to minor curiosity as his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed.

"Oh really?"

"Yes... really. I genuinely am curious. As much as you may refuse to acknowledge it, but I am not as dumb of a noble as you may think."

"And what if I say no? You did land me here. Who knows when I will be released, if ever. Maybe I'll feel better if you stay uninformed and in the dark over matters that don't particularly concern you?"

Gritting her teeth, Blue murmured quietly. "I'll help you escape if you say yes."

The look of utter amazement Link displayed made Blue snort.

"You?" He breathed. "_You_? You got me arrested, and now you want to break me _out_?"

"Only if you agree. I'll help you if you tell me what you know."

"Why the sudden, desperate interest?" The bitterness in Link's voice died down compared their previous conversations and Blue felt somewhat relieved.

"Because I just- I want to know. I've never been given the opportunity to know, and I care as much about this city as you do, again, despite what you think."

Link turned his face away. He seemed apprehensive, understandably. She was a stranger, and she didn't trust him as much as he didn't trust her. But he seemed true to his devotion to Hyrule. He spoke passionately about the deteriorating state of Hyrule, despite coming off as incredibly blunt and rude. Link was her literal 'link' to the outside world she wanted to know about. She didn't want this opportunity to pass her by.

"You help me first." Link stated after a brief pause, raising his head but keeping his attention away from her. "Then I'll help you."

Blue looked up in surprise, eyes wide as her stomach fluttered.

"Go to East Castle Town," he directed, and Blue began to take special note to remember, "there is a tavern far in the corner of the district. It will appear dark, but I assure you, it is quite crowded inside." He hesitated briefly before continuing. "Go across the room to the counter and there should be a tall, black haired lady. Talk to her. Tell her I sent you and where I am. She'll know what to do."

After another brief pause, Blue pressed, "is that all?"

"Yes." Link replied briefly, keeping his gaze away from her. One moment he was berating her, and now he wasn't even looking at her. He was so difficult to understand.

"Right, I'll get going. I'll be back."

Link didn't respond and Blue took that as a cue to leave. Hurriedly she unlinked her arms from the bars and slid down the wall, dashing away toward East Castle Town as soon as her feet hit the ground.

* * *

Blue felt relief flood over her when she realized Link's directions had indeed been correct. At the very corner of East Castle Town, surrounded by other buildings, was a large, dark tavern. As she drew close she realized the windows had been blacked out with some sort of magic, making it impossible to see in. It was also deathly silent, unnerving her slightly. East Castle Town wasn't exactly the friendliest of places.

Trembling slightly, she closed her hand over the doorknob and pushed it in.

To her amazement, Link was not lying. It was bright, it was warm, and it was busy. Dozens of people, ranging from kids to older adults, created a lively atmosphere. It had been quiet outside, but inside it was rowdy and loud, filled with countless voices. A group of kids dashed by her, quickly opening the door she had just come through and scurrying outside happily.

When Link spoke of an organization of thieves, she had never imagined this. The Hylian Guards always painted the thieves in a horrid light and she had always pictured scrawny thieves stalking around the streets, mugging innocent people and heartlessly stealing. In front of her eyes was a different picture. People were laughing, sharing food and drinks as they talked amongst themselves. The children weren't being held against their will, they were playing amongst themselves under the supervision of several older people. People clasped hands, hugged, and played games at their tables. They all seemed genuinely... happy.

Maybe Link was right.

Remembering her mission, Blue gently pushed through the crowd and offered soft apologies as she found her way to the counter. A tall, curvy lady stood behind it, conversing with a few people as she placed drinks before their eager faces. She had long black hair and painted lips, just as Link said, and Blue quickly made her way up to the counter.

"Hello, darling." The older woman smiled at Blue, though a brief look of curiosity sparked in her eyes as she held a drink in her hands. "I have not seen you before. Who are you?"

Blue felt her breath hitch and words fail her as the older woman peered down. The woman's smile dissipated a little at Blue's silence, taking it as a refusal to answer.

"If you do not inform me who you are, I will have to ask you to leave."

"Cut the newbies some slack, Veeeeel." A gruff man's voice chimed out from further down the counter. "Don't gotta' interrogate everyone who walks in."

The woman's attention wavered a little between the gruff, smiling man and Blue. "Please, Derek-"

"Link sent me." Blue could barely control her voice as she blurted out suddenly.

The woman's face snapped to Blue, her gaze narrowing. "Link? Why did he send you? Does he know you?"

"Something about Link, Velia?" Derek sauntered over, stein in his hand as he approached Blue. "Awh hey, yer' cute as a button. You know Link?"

Feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of both older people, Blue fidgeted with her hands. "Yes he- he told me to tell you he sent me. He's in trouble."

Immediately, both the adults paled. From their brief conversation, Blue picked up that the black haired woman was named Velia and the scruffy man was Derek.

Velia put the glass she had been holding down suddenly and rounded the counter, a sudden rigidness in her movements. "What is wrong?"

"He was arrested earlier today." Blue took a hesitant step away from Velia and Derek as their gazes bore into her like fire. "He needs help and he told me you'd know what to do."

Immediately Velia turned to another person behind the counter, calling out to him as she quickly moved past Blue. What she said was lost to Blue's ears from the loud murmur of the tavern. Derek followed, turning briefly to Blue and motioning for her to stay put before he hurried after Velia and disappeared.

Blue sat there uncomfortably for what felt like an eternity, glancing around at the crowd of people. They paid little attention to her, which made blending in a bit easier. To her relief, Velia and Derek reappeared from the crowd. Derek had strapped a large sword over his back and heavy gauntlets on. Velia was currently tightening a belt of knives across her waist. Both of them had tossed dark cloaks over their shoulders as well.

"Lead us." Velia ordered quickly, obviously impatient. "I cannot believe Link got himself arrested. I knew it would catch up to him eventually."

Blue snickered quietly, Velia's words reminding her somewhat of her mother. She nodded quietly and took off outside the building, finding the dark streets of Castle Town deathly quiet compared to the commotion of the tavern.

Judging by their swift movements and careful elusiveness, Blue guessed Velia and Derek must have been experienced thieves themselves. They were always on her heels, impatiently following her in the silence as she lead them to the jailhouse that held Link captive. Blue tried her best to recall her steps carefully, not used to traveling around these streets this late at night. In her free time, she would attempt to explore Castle Town, yet lately her mother had always wanted her safely at home. Her memory of the area wasn't exactly current.

After a while they approached the jailhouse, Blue thoroughly out of breath as Velia and Derek sped past her. She paused, hunched over, watching as Velia disappeared around the building and Derek disappeared the opposite way.

The clash of steel echoed, followed by a few shouts. Cautiously, Blue stepped forward, following where Velia had gone and sliding along the wall. When she slipped around the corner, the sudden clash of steel nearby caused her to jump.

"Derek, go left!" Velia commanded, the dagger in one hand held up and pushing against a guard's sword. "There are only four guards, this shouldn't be too difficult!"

"Sound the alarm!" A guard called frantically before Velia pushed his weapon aside and lunged at him. "Private, _go_!"

A younger guard dashed off quickly in search of an alarm bell. Velia and Derek shouted, but stood in place as the other guards slashed at them with spears and swords.

Wide eyed, Blue watched as the guard eluded the two thieves and started to slip down the street. In a brief moment of panic, Blue dashed off after him as fast as she could, barely thinking correctly.

She was much quicker than the younger guard and caught up easily, hand reaching out and grabbing the back of his breastplate. She yanked back roughly, causing the inexperienced guard to gasp and fall backwards onto the cobblestone road with a loud _clank_.

Blue stood dazed as the younger guard collided with the ground, shouting something she didn't quite hear as his helmet bounced off and rolled away. With another shout the guard spun around, slashing sideways with his spear and aiming for her face. The tip collided with her cheek, catching her off guard as it impacted her jaw and send her staggering.

Instinctively, she shot her hand out to try to grab the spear, yet failed as she felt her fingers grasp air. Just as she registered the guard's displeased shout, Derek shot past her, colliding is fist with the guard's exposed face. A loud _crack_ echoed as the guard groaned and fell backwards, eyes rolled back and closed as if asleep.

"Whoa, thank ya', little lass." Derek turned and shook his hand out from the impact. "I thought we'd have more trouble comin' fer sure."

Blue froze, barely able to comprehend what was in front of her. She stared at the guard, panic creeping its way into her mind.

_Dead? Is he dead? Oh Din, is he _dead_? What did I do? What did... what did _we_ do? Did I assist in _killing_ a guard?!_

"He's not dead, lass, just a little... knocked out. He'll come round come mornin'." Derek laughed out at the panic written all over her face. "Hush, hush, come on."

Blue allowed Derek to place a hand on her back and usher her forward. As soon as they arrived back, Velia stepped outside the front doors of the jailhouse, jingling keys with a worried expression plastered on her face. Link emerged moments later, strapping a sword to his belt and fastening his familiar yet ripped cloak around him.

"Did he ring the bell?" Velia questioned as Derek and Blue approached.

"Nope, little lass grabbed him in time and I knocked him out cold."

Link's features twisted up in surprise. "She did _what_?"

"Not important." Velia ordered and shoved the jailhouse keys into a clasp on her belt. "We need to go before a patrol comes our way."

Link pulled his cloak fully over his face and obeyed her orders. Blue scrambled to do the same with her hood and Derek patted her shoulder, seeming to sense her distress.

Velia motioned for everyone to follow and took off quietly down the streets. Link and Derek immediately started after her, cloaks billowing out behind them.

Somewhat dazed, out of breath, and thoroughly confused, Blue followed.

* * *

**A/N:** I was gonna make this longer, but it parted so seamlessly here, so I had to stop it. :)

And what's this? An update just 4 days after my last? Things are picking up I suppose! I had some free time this weekend and wrote this entire chapter last night. Thank goodness for the weekend. But now I have to do college work. Darn procrastination.

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! See you next chapter~


	7. Chapter 6

_"Master?" A low voice echoed throughout the elaborate grand all of a temple. A lonely man in dark robes stood on a decorated red carpet near the entrance, cloaked in darkness as he approached the altar on the far side of the temple. "Master he is safe again. For now."_

_A bright light radiated out from the altar as the man approached, the marble black surface shining brightly. Three slots on the top of the altar were eerily empty and an engraved inscription on the front of the marble read:_

_The Hero of Time, with Sword in hand, descended here._

_After a few moments of silence, the lonely man spoke again. "Master?"_

_The altar radiated a brighter light at the sound of the man's voice, a low humming noise echoing throughout the temple's hall. The humming shifted when a radiant, virtuous voice spoke out, echoing off the tile walls._

_"Where is he?"_

_Immediately the lonely man dropped to one knee, crossing an arm over his chest in prayer. "Safe, protected by unseen forces he does not understand."_

_"Good... make sure no harm comes of him again."_

_Raising his head ever so slowly, the man fixed his gaze on the altar. "What of the city? He needs to know who he is eventually."_

_"Not now."_

_"Master, he has already been reincarnated later than he should have. The more we delay, the closer we come to-"_

_"Silence." The radiant voice was riddled with displeasure as it echoed against the temple walls. "He is not ready."_

_"But Master, he _is_ the-"_

_"Just because he _is _does not mean he is _ready_. We will let time run its course and inform him... soon."_

_"Master," the lonely man continued, worry in his own voice as he raised his hands, pleading, "what if he rejects the notion? He did not grow up knowing who he is."_

_"He won't." After a long pause, a warm energy crept up around the room as the altar's light grew brighter, shadows moving up the walls and out the stain glass windows. "He will not be given the option."_

* * *

_What is this_? Link thought as he followed Velia down the alley, trying to keep up with the tail end of her cloak. A tingling burning sensation began to develop under the skin on his left hand, causing his focus to waiver. He had ripped his glove off to see if it was a bite, a bruise, anything; but there was nothing. He rubbed the top of it in an attempt to alleviate the pain, trying to hide his discomfort from the others.

"Keep up." Velia ordered as they rounded a corner. Derek and Blue had pushed past and were a few paces in front of him. He started falling behind as he divided his attention between the burning sensation and his boss.

Clenching his hand into a fist, Link obeyed and pushed on faster, trying to focus on the task ahead. When Velia came to a slow stop he was relieved to look up and see the familiar silhouette of the tavern barely visible in the dark night. The spell a few gifted thieves had placed around the tavern worked well in blocking out the noise from inside, and the windows were blackened to keep the light from inside hidden.

"Quickly now, before a patrol comes. It won't take them long to discover the unconscious guards and alert the town." Velia opened the door and held it, ushering him and the others inside impatiently.

Link squinted against the bright light and business of the inn, but was relieved to be out of his cell and home. Just as he was about to unlink the sword from his belt and shrug the cloak from his shoulders, Velia snatched his wrist in a painful grasp and tugged him through the crowd roughly. Link tried to ignore the fact she grabbing his throbbing hand and grunted out a protest, which she ignored. She threw him in a quiet back storage room before disappearing and reappearing quickly with Blue in her grasp and Derek on her heels.

"Now we will sit here and explain before you disappear on me." Velia stated, any humor she may have had previously gone from her voice. "What happened?"

In an attempt to relieve her tension, Derek coughed uncomfortably. "Velia, we just got-"

"No," Velia interrupted, casting a gold glance toward the older man. "They will tell me so I can further protect other members. I cannot stage rescue missions every night. It's far too dangerous for everyone."

"It was an accident." Blue supplied as she attempted to tug her wrist out from Velia's grasp. "If you could ever so kindly let go-"

"An _accident_?" Velia's grip only tightened as she pulled Blue close. "An _accident_ landed one of my best thieves in jail? I find that hard to believe."

Link, not looking to anger his boss anymore than she already was, complied with a low, "she turned me in."

"Who?"

"_She_ did." Link gestured toward the noble in his boss's grasp.

"_What_?" Velia jerked Blue up again, causing the younger girl to yelp in surprise. "You turned him in and then _helped him escape_?"

Blue lowered her head from Velia's piercing gaze as she defended weakly. "I made a deal with Link for information."

"A _deal_?" Velia whirled around to Link and his stomach dropped immediately. "Explain. _Now_."

Link held his hands up, sensing his boss's hostility heighten. He knew how she was when she was angry, and it wasn't exactly pretty. "She wanted to know more about how Hyrule functions. In exchange for my freedom, that is." Gesturing to Blue he added with a hint of jest, "if you couldn't already tell by her mannerisms, she is a noble and barely knows what she is doing."

"What?" Blue shot out with hostility. "I thought we were past this poking and prodding at one another. We are alive and here safely, that should count for something?"

"You are also surrounded by vicious murderers." Link pointed to the door leading to the main room of the tavern. He fought not to show the twitch in his face when his hand throbbed.

"Hush," Velia commanded, her hostility dying down as she gazed at the two teenagers. "No fighting. Link, we are not vicious murderers. If you are out murdering people, we need to reevaluate what you do for this guild."

Link rubbed a hand down his face. "I'm not murdering people, I was just trying to make a point."

Gently, Velia released Blue from her grasp with a sigh. The younger Hylian rubbed her sore wrist while Velia started to undo the clasps holding her belt together. "Actually, we should reevaluate your involvement anyway. You should stay low for a while. More than you did previously."

"Velia-" Link started to voice his complaint as she turned around, but he was quickly hushed.

"What is your name? I do not think you gave it to us." Velia turned to Blue as she made her way back across the room and smoothed her ruffled hair down. She held an aura of authority around her now, the hostility in her shoulders easing as she held the younger girl's gaze.

"It's Blue."

"How lovely. It's nice to meet you, hun." Velia nodded, though a smile had yet to appear on her usually cheery face. "I am sorry our first meeting had to be so serious. I normally want to keep things relatively fun. I am Velia, and this is my inn."

"Your inn? Are you-"

"Yes," Velia interrupted softly as Blue's eyes widened, "I am the leader of the Thieves Guild."

Blue blinked and opened her mouth to say something yet was cut off again as Link jumped in, pushing himself in front of her. "Say now, Velia, she was only looking for information regarding Hyrule. Should we be telling her all of this? I mean, she has turned me in once."

"Don't be cynical, Link. We wouldn't get new members if we treated everyone like an outsider." Velia frowned at him as she placed her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him aside.

Link couldn't hide his shocked surprise when he blurted, "new members?"

"She showed some potential tonight." Velia gave a curt nod. "She needs some training, but if she wanted, she could do it."

"No, no," Link waved his hands frantically, "bad idea. Bad idea."

"Hush, you don't make the rules here. Put your hands down." Velia glared at him as her eyes narrowed. "I will make sure Blue knows I do not take kindly to my thieves getting arrested. I don't hold every mistake you make over your head, do I?"

Link bit his tongue to hold back his remark, knowing it would only anger her further. He grabbed his hand and rubbed it again as it sparked up with more pain, most likely from his agitation.

"Good." Velia nodded again as she looked toward Blue. "I hope you do heed my warning though. If more of my thieves get arrested, I'll make sure to find you."

"Oh I- uh- right, yeah, I won't do it again." Blue spoke quickly, tripping over her words as she tried to look at anything other than the older woman.

Having stayed silent the entire time, probably in fear of Velia's anger, Derek stepped forward and cut in to the conversation. "If we are all quite done with the yellin' stuff, I have a few questions." He paused briefly as he stopped in front of Blue, trying to keep a lighter atmosphere by smiling. "First off, why'd you get Link arrested?"

Blue shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "I've heard nothing but bad things about Hyrule lately, like thieves running amuck and Gerudo in our borders. He was cloaked up and trying to sneak around alleys. My friend caught sight of him first and we decided we should inform a guard of suspicious activity."

"Which backfired on her, getting her arrested because they thought she was my accomplice." Link added.

"Ha! I'm sorry, lass. Link's bad influence tends to rub off a lot."

Link huffed.

For once, Blue's face lifted into somewhat of a smile as she looked up at Derek. "So I can see."

"How did you get out, and why do you want information about the inner workings of Hyrule?" Velia questioned. "The nobles do not already know?"

"No. Well actually, they might, I just don't know." Blue sighed as she looked down again. "My mother bailed me out. We have the money, of course. My father was a knight. I've always wanted to be a knight too, but well... I'm a girl so they wouldn't take me into their ranks even if I passed all of their tests. Hylian policy." Cautiously she put a hand to the back of her neck. "I just want to help this city out somehow and I thought maybe catching a thief and gaining some information on how Hyrule has been running would be helpful."

"You don't want to be a guard. At least, not right now. Trust me." Link added again briefly.

"Yeah, I know. You've said that before. But what else can I do? I'm no vigilante like you." Blue coughed slightly while adding, "if you call it being a vigilante."

Link's eyes narrowed.

"We can make you one." Velia interjected.

Blue's eyes widened as she stared, almost awestruck while Link looked at Velia in disbelief.

"Heyah," Derek laughed out. "Everyone has to start somewhere. Link wasn't exactly cream of the crop when he arrived here."

"I'm not training her!" Link shot out loudly. "I'm not putting up with that!"

"Farore's sake, Link, I won't assign her to you." Velia rolled her eyes and waved her hand. "You are being overdramatic. The poor girl wants to help, let's give her the opportunity."

"But you're thieves," Blue shook her head as she rubbed her arms uncomfortably. "You guys don't help Hyrule."

"That's what the guards want you to think." Velia smiled briefly and winked.

Blue shifted on her feet, thinking over the offer but obviously unsure of herself.

"Why don't you go on one or two missions tomorrow night? You can see if you like it, and you can see if we really do help those in need." Velia smiled again as she made her way over to the door. "It's better to see things like this is person rather than believe the word of strangers. If you are interested, come back tomorrow night and I'll send you out with a few people."

"I'll take 'er!" Derek offered, clapping Blue's shoulder. "She'd probably feel a lil' better with a familiar face, and I lighten every party up."

"That's great, thank you, hun." Velia nodded toward the man as she exited the room. "Sorry for hurrying out, but I have to make sure my inn doesn't burn down without me watching over it."

Derek followed Velia cheerily, waving to Link and Blue as he exited. "Hope to see ya tomorrow then! If you need an escort home, I am out here and ready when you are."

He left the door open as he exited, the sound from the main part of the tavern flowing into the smaller storage room and making it considerably louder. The pain in Link's left hand hadn't subsided and he was thoroughly annoyed by the whole conversation that had just taken place. He cast Blue one last glance before he hurried out of the room, shrugging off his cloak and weapons has he stalked his way across the floor and up the stairs toward his room.

His boss just recruited his jailor and she honestly thought he should be okay with it. _Really?_

* * *

Much to Link's displeasure, Blue had come back to the inn the next night, hesitant but ready to follow orders and discover what being a thief was all about. Just as he offered, Derek took Blue under his wing and showed her a few of the ropes to their organization. Link had decided to remain behind, trying to find the cause of his hand's burning sensation, which hadn't stopped since it had started the day before.

Over the course of her training, Blue's outlook on the guild changed. She happily accepted her recruitment and began immediately, Derek assigned as her mentor. It went by the same for a few weeks; she would arrive around the same time each night, a ball of excitement as her and Derek recounted their fun adventures and supplied useful information to Velia. The more time went on, the more comfortable Blue became with the idea of the guild and its members. She seemed to be treating the inn like a second home away from her other life. Blue had even accompanied Link on a few supply deliveries and was overjoyed to see needy families so ecstatic to receive food and other essentials from them.

Derek pointed out that most of the thieves had a weapon they kept on their being at all times when they were away from the inn. _'For protection'_ he claimed, but they were _'also pretty snazzy'_. He carried a broadsword across his back, Velia had her knives, and Link had his short sword. Over the weeks Blue had developed decent hand to hand combat skills from her training, which Derek excelled at and was thrilled to teach, so she happily accepted light metal gauntlets that Derek provided. Despite the fact they were more for armor, he assumed they could be modified and pack a punch with the right force.

Despite their efforts, Castle Town seemed to decline even more over the few weeks that went by. The rumors of Gerudo running around the town were confirmed as the Guard made a few arrests, heightening the panic of the public even more. Blue informed them that during her daily chores she had seen a few vendors begin to close shop, making the market shrink day by day. More and more people were packing up and moving to other towns such as Kakariko Village or the outer colonies, however this did little to ease any tensions in the city.

The burning sensation in Link's hand only grew worse every day. He tried everything he could; rubbing it, submerging his hand in ice until it was practically numb, even telling Velia about it and allowing her to apply medication. He decided to wrap bandages around it and place his gauntlet over them, trying desperately to ignore the pain. Despite his best efforts, nothing worked, and he had no idea why.

Velia had sent Blue and him on a delivery mission that night, trusting them to get along. Their boss had noticed lingering tensions and she tried her best to force them to get along. She never made him Blue's mentor and left that job solely to Derek, however she tried her best to force them to work together on other missions whenever they had the chance. She claimed they should get along for the sake of the guild, which both of them agreed on.

Link still didn't care too much for her, yet he grew accustomed to her presence on their missions. Blue was attentive and understanding. To his surprise, she followed his orders nicely and rarely tried to talk back unless he prodded. He had even learned a few things about her during their deliveries and conversations, such as how her father had been a knight killed in battle, she had a sweetheart named Jake, a little brother that she adored named Tye, and other random facts she would spout out happily.

Blue struggled to hold her collection of items up as she followed Link, keeping on his heels as he maneuvered his way around the streets to the houses they needed to stop by. She had overstuffed her satchel, which Link didn't comment on as they left the inn, thinking she could handle it. He frowned when she grunted in frustration and almost dropped the bag on multiple occasions.

"Hold up," Blue kept her voice quiet but loud enough for Link to hear. "I'm going to drop everything and get us caught if I don't adjust real quick."

Link sighed and stopped, turning around to see Blue huff with exhaustion and sink to the ground with a dull thud.

"If you can't carry everything you can put a few things in my pack." Link offered as he placed his supplies on the ground next to her. He smirked briefly and added, "I would also advise you to not take so much stuff next time. We can always deliver more tomorrow night."

Blue started shuffling and rearranging items in her own bag, pulling some out and setting them gently on the ground. "These families need these supplies now. I'd hate to make them wait another night."

"Another night won't kill them."

"I know," she defended quickly as she hurried to place a few things in his bag before returning her attention to her own. "I just feel bad."

When she was done organizing he reached down and picked his satchel back up, trying to adjust the added weight comfortably over his shoulder. She stood did the same, smiling as she let out a sigh of relief.

"Great, my arms aren't going to die now. Let's go."

Link turned on his heels and took one step before he heard a sharp clunking sound. He whipped around and peered at Blue curiously, expecting her to have dropped something. However, her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open a little as she gawked at him.

"What?" He patted himself down, looking around cautiously.

"What is _that_?" She dropped her bag, muttering a curse under her breath as she stepped up to him and grabbed his satchel forcefully.

"What is what?" Link looked down at her incredulously. "Blue?"

She yanked something out of the side of his bag and lifted it up into his view. His blood ran cold.

_An arrow._

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Blue yelped in surprise, dropping the arrow in her hand as another whizzed by and clipped her cloaked shoulder.

"Quick!" Link dropped his bag and grabbed Blue's wrists, pulling her down to take cover behind a nearby crate.

"Someone is _shooting_ at us?" Blue asked, alarm rising in her voice as she lifted her head to peer over their cover.

"It can't be guards," Link grabbed her shirt collar and yanked her back down. "They would have created a commotion." He paused briefly and looked at where the arrow had ripped a small hole in her cloak. "Are you injured?"

She followed his gaze to the rip. "No, it barely got through the first layer of fabric."

"Good."

Blue flinched at the loud clunk as another arrow struck the other side of the crate. "Who in _Din's_ name would _shoot _at people _randomly_ in an alley?"

"I don't think they're shooting randomly. They must know what we are."

Blue pursed her lips and glanced away from him, obviously trying to keep her panic down. "What do we do?"

Link looked away and peered around them, trying to make out an escape route they could dash for in the dark. "They're shooting from afar, so it seems like they don't want to be seen. Maybe we should-"

"Link, wait-"

"We can-"

"Link, I think-"

"Blue, please, let's just-" He cut off abruptly when he realized the crate they were using for cover was slowly being engulfed by flames creeping around the wood. Blue was the one that grabbed him this time and yanked him back, almost losing her footing as she pulled him away.

"_How_?" She breathed as she stared at the burning crate, releasing his arm.

"Well, no place like learning than on the job." Link's hand shot to his belt where his sword was concealed. He unsheathed it, watching as Blue scrambled to equip her gauntlets in the fire and torchlight.

As he clipped the last buckle, she shot her head down the alley, looking around for their attacker. "Link, we honestly can't stay here! They're shooting _flaming_ arrows!"

Just as Blue finished her sentence, a loud crash rang out from a few blocks away, and any thought Link had came to a sudden halt. He had heard a lot of loud, terrorizing noises, but he had never heard this. It was horrendously loud and caused both of the thieves to place their hands over their ears at the sharp, sudden sound. Even with his ears covered, the sickening crash of a building crumbling and toppling over rang out throughout the streets, and his stomach flipped.

The burning sensation in his hand intensified.

"Link we need to go!" Blue called out above the sudden commotion that had begun to pick up around them. People began filing out of their homes in the dead of the night, shouting and panicking amongst themselves.

Shaking his head out, Link nodded silently in reply. He turned and ran, stumbling as he tried avoiding the people that had suddenly started running away in fear. Blue kept close on his heels, murmuring apologies as she pushed past a few shouting families.

They rounded the corner and Link came to a skidding halt, staring at the scene in front of him in horror. Something large and flaming had struck a building on the block, causing the building to collapse in a pile of flames. Buildings around had caught fire as well from the debris, slowly crumbling as the wood supports failed under the pressure.

What stuck an even colder blow to his stomach was the distinguishing characteristics of the people who stood around the burning buildings, bows drawn taut as they aimed toward random Hylian's that scattered away like mice. Their skin darkened by sunlight, hair blazing colors of red against the fires of the buildings, noses large, and their features sharp like knives.

_Gerudo._

* * *

**A/N:** Not entirely happy with this chapter, but I can't stare at it anymore. I've edited this a bajillion times. It's becoming frustrating ughhhhh

But are you ready for the plot to thicken? More action? More character development? Buckle your seat belts. We are in for a ride.

As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!


	8. Chapter 7

_Gerudo._

Blue tried to regain her breath as she skid to a halt next to Link, stomach flipping in horror as she stared at the scene before her. There had to be at least a dozen Gerudo women standing there, shooting their arrows at Hylians as they fled in different directions while shouting and screaming.

Link, without warning, dashed in the other direction, slipping away as quick as they came. Blue blinked in surprise and tore off after him, sliding over and under people who crossed in front of her. She managed to keep sight of his back even when she was a few leagues behind him. He never even looked behind to see if she was there.

The sickening sound of another crash echoed from another building in the area, followed by even more screams as a new wave of people dashed in the direction of the Castle Town gate.

Someone ran into Link, causing him to pause and stumble sideways. It gave Blue enough time to catch up and grab the back of his cloak, pulling him quickly to the side of a building to get away from the commotion. He grunted in surprise, blue eyes shooting to hers in brief annoyance until he noticed it was her.

"What are you doing?" Blue shot out hostilely. "Where are you going?"

Link looked at her in pure disbelief. "You're still following me? You need to go back home and get your family!"

A bolt of shame shot through her. She hadn't even _thought_ about that.

Link pushed her as he urged, stepping back as he did. "Go!"

"What about you?"

"I am going to get Velia and Derek." Link hesitated slightly before adding, "I need to make sure they're okay."

Blue found herself amazed as a fleeting look of panic flashed on his face. He quickly turned his face from hers and fled, easily disappearing in the crowd. She had never seen him so shaken before. Of course, she was shaken too, but Link always seemed to have an air of confidence around him. Velia and Derek must have meant more to him than she had previously guessed.

Remembering her own family, Blue dashed in the direction she believed was home. It became increasingly difficult as more people filled the streets, pushing each other frantically. She was practically fighting her way through people running in the opposite direction toward the gates. Wealthier class people lived deeper in the city, closer to where the Castle sit, which made it even more difficult to get to in all of the commotion.

A few Gerudo women popped up every now and again, picking off people as they ran through the town. It disheartened Blue even further when she realized Hylian soldiers were doing nothing to help. In fact, she noticed a few soldiers fleeing with the crowd, the same looks of terror on their faces as the normal citizens. She even saw the insignias of a few Royal Guards, who must have fled all the way from the castle. Were the King and Princess okay? Had the Gerudo infiltrated all the way into the castle?

Panic seized her chest even more as she drew closer to her home. Gerudo had made it all the way back here, which meant her mother and Tye were in great danger if they were still here.

Or if they were even... still alive.

Blue flew up the steps of her home, silently praying over and over to the Goddesses that they were okay.

The front door was open.

"Mother?" Blue murmured as she pressed on the door slowly.

No response.

Blue called again, yet there was still no response. Dread rose in her throat as she frantically searched the house. Every room, every closet, every corner. All of them were empty.

The house was an utter mess, whether from quick packing or a struggle, she had no idea. When she inspected further, her heart lurched. There were blood spattered spots on the walls and floor.

Gerudo had been here. In her own home.

"Evelyn!" A wonderfully familiar voice shouted from the front room. Blue couldn't believe her ears, even as he shouted her own name. How he had stumbled here, in this horrendous mess, in search of her family, she had no idea. He had his own family, his own worries, and he had come here. For her.

Dashing into the front room, Blue let out a breath that she hadn't noticed she was holding. "Jake!"

"Blue!" The look of relief that crossed Jake's features was uplifting. He crossed the room in three large strides, reaching up to cradle her face in his hands. "Thank the Goddesses you are alive! I was afraid you would have left already. Where are your mother and brother?"

"Gone." Blue supplied weakly, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. "I don't know."

"What? They left _without_ you?"

"I was... I was not here when they left." She turned her gaze away in shame. She should have been there. "I just got here."

Jake's expression contorted as confusion spread across his features. Thankfully, he didn't question any further. His focus waivered to the crowds outside the front door, the sounds of more flaming trebuchet stones crashing into buildings in the distance. They were wasting time.

"We need to go," he spoke quickly, his hand latching onto one of her arms in a painful grip. "Hopefully we will meet your mother and Tye once we escape."

"Escape?" Blue breathed, grunting when Jake pulled her roughly forward and out the door. "Where are we going to _go_? We have nowhere _to go!_"

"I don't care," Jake didn't even look back as he answered. "We just need to leave."

He gripped her arm tighter as he ran. Blue stumbled after him, trying to focus on his back and swallow the lump of emotions in her throat.

Where _was_ her family? If they were dead... she couldn't even think of it. She hadn't been there for them because she was so wrapped up in her personal world with the Guild that she hadn't even considered their safety without her.

As Jake pulled her along, she tried her best to grasp his arm as well. At least he was here... for now.

If they were dead, it was her fault.

* * *

Link ran like a madman to the tavern, trying his best not to panic. He knew Velia and Derek well enough that they wouldn't have had a difficult time escaping any predictable attack, but this one was completely random. There were rumors of Gerudo in the town, but never any rumors of a siege on the whole city.

Velia was usually very good at getting information. She was sneaky, attentive, and had spies just about everywhere in Castle Town. If Velia didn't know, then no one did.

Link hurdled over collapsed people and ducked under others. _No one_ was going to trip him up from this. His hand hurt, but it barely registered in the back of his head. The only two people he _genuinely_ cared about were in serious danger and he wasn't there to help them.

When he arrived at the inn, his heart lurched painfully.

A building next to the inn had been struck by a flaming trebuchet stone and collapsed. The fire had spread to not only the inn, but the surrounding buildings in the block, and it was spreading quickly.

He felt like he was going to be sick.

Feeling suddenly weak, he walked up to the inn slowly and opened the door. If the flaming outside of the inn made him feel sick, he surely felt like he was going to throw up his entire stomach at the site of what was inside.

The entire inside was illuminated by fire. The stairs leading to the second floor rooms had all but collapsed. There were support beams with arrows and swords stuck in them. Flames consumed the supports and cracked the wood with every second that passed. Smoke burned his nose and eyes. Other members of the guild laid scattered across the floor, most of them dead in pools of blood. He even recognized a few.

He scanned the inn slowly, feeling his legs grow weaker as he took a few labored steps into the flaming inn. He felt like he would find them. He felt like they were here, and that put him to his knees.

Everything he knew.

Everything he was.

And the Gerudo had slaughtered and set it on fire.

Angrily, Link clawed at the floorboards, barely flinching as the ruined wood dug into his fingers.

What was he going to do?

Where was he supposed to _go?_

A rare feeling of despair clutched at his chest, painfully twisting his emotions. He hadn't felt anything like this before, and that left him more vulnerable than he had ever been. A million thoughts and a million emotions ran through his veins in what felt like an instant. It was his fault. He should have known. It was the Gerudo. They should have never come.

His thoughts came to a screeching halt when he heard a soft yet familiar voice.

"Link?"

_Velia!_

He scrambled to his feet, scanning the inn. The smoke from the burning planks stung even more and obscured his vision, but he looked past it. He whipped his head around, searching desperately for his boss until he found her lying on her side on the far side of the room.

"Velia!" He cried as he dashed for her, hardly caring when he burst through some flames. As he came closer, he realized in horror that she was not only lying on the floor but lying in a pool of _red_.

"You should leave- the inn might collapse." She spoke softly, her worlds stilted.

"What happened?" Link fell to his knees, hands coming out to find her wounds and stop the bleeding.

"Gerudo ambushed us- we weren't prepared. Never been attacked before."

As he examined her, he found more than one severe wound. He tried covering them to stop the bleeding, hardly caring as his gauntlets and tunic quickly became covered in blood. As he tried to cover her wounds, her hands came up and over his.

"You need help." He murmured as she weakly pushed his hands away. "I can take you with me."

"Derek- led the others. To Kakariko."

"That doesn't relate to the fact you need help." Link tried his best to contain his panic and despair. "Can I pick you up? Can you move at all?"

To his utter horror, she closed her eyes and shook her head. His hands short forward to shake her until she opened her eyes again. Despite everything, she managed a smile.

"You need to go, Link."

"No!" He denied, his voice lacking it's normal bite as he heard it break. "You're coming with me! Keep your eyes open!"

"Link-"

"No! This time, I'm ordering you! You can do it!" His voice continued to break as he adamantly argued. "Keep your eyes open!"

Angrily, he shoved his arms under her and lifted her up. She was just as tall as him, but he knew his strength could easily handle her weight. She gasped painfully as he hauled her up, her hands clutching at her stomach.

"Hun... please go. Find Derek." Her fists curled around the ruined fabric of her shirt. "Make them... make things right again."

"But you are our boss." Link was trying desperately to hold on to his emotions before they spiraled out of control. "You are practically my _family_."

"I know," Velia's voice had grown even more quiet as her cloudy gaze looked at him. "But you... need to go. You will go- you can do it."

Despite containing his emotions this far, the soft sound of her voice finally broke him. The closest thing to a family was dying in his arms and his life was literally collapsing around him. He couldn't help the sudden onslaught of tears that fell down his face, or the sobs that broke from his throat. He held on tighter to Velia and watched as her pain seemed to subside, but her limbs grew heavier.

Her gentle gaze held his anguished one. She moved her hand to grasp his collar, and despite everything, she managed to smile again for him.

Ever so softly, she spoke again, and Link almost had to strain to hear her over the fire and the roaring in his ears.

"I know you can."

He watched helplessly as she slowly closed her eyes and sighed. He shook her, shouting anything that came to his mind to keep her awake, but he barely heard himself. He _needed_ her. She was his _family_. She was his _boss_. All he knew was her teasing tone and her motherly attitude.

He shook her again, but this time, she did not open her eyes. Her head rolled onto his shoulder, and her grip on his collar loosened until it fell away.

He had no words to say. All he felt was agony. It seemed to be the only emotion he could process as he held her. His body felt numb and his head fell forward, holding her tightly to his chest.

She was gone, and there was nothing he could do.

It took a few minutes of simply sitting there with her in his arms until he noticed the inn began to crumble even more around him. His head shot up as a section of the ceiling fell across the room. Flames began to pick up even more as the wooden planks scattered across the room.

Gazing down at Velia's solemn face, he knew she wouldn't want him to die here. It was difficult to move his limbs, but he managed to set her down softly and stood on his feet. He needed to go, and he needed to go quickly. Derek was in Kakariko and he needed to reach him.

He fought his way through the flames, barely feeling them as his numb body pushed through and out the front door. His tunic was filthy with blood and his cloak was scorched and torn in several places, but he hardly cared.

He simply stood outside the inn, staring at what was happening around him. He tried to gather his thoughts coherently, watching as people ran past in terror.

What got to him the most was that no one was actually doing anything to help stop the destruction.

Where were the _damn_ King and Princess?

What were they _doing?_

Link's sorrow quickly dissolved and morphed into anger. Pure, uninhibited anger. He suddenly felt angry at everything. The Gerudo. Himself. The Royal Family. The Hylian Guard. This _damn burning sensation in his hand!_

He made a tight fist, gritting his teeth as he tore off. He wanted to help. He needed to help. He felt utterly useless. He knew it wasn't exactly his job to protect Hyrule, but he felt like it was the only thing he was remotely good at. _Actually_, he realized he _wasn't even good at that_. He couldn't save people from the Gerudo. He wasn't even good at the _one_ thing he _thought_ he was good at.

The deeper he got into the crowd, the more he realized that there was nothing he could do. He was forced forwards toward the gates leading out of the city. He pushed his heavy feet onwards, trying his hardest to not lash out and completely lose it.

When he arrived at the drawbridge, he noticed the chains holding it up at been broken and snapped. The bridge now laid open, letting Gerudo forces in and ushering Hylian citizens out. A few Gerudo trebuchets were just outside the city, but they had all been launched and most of the Gerudo were inside the city now.

_Kakariko_, he thought. _Kakariko is the closest town under Hylian rule_. _That must be where everyone is going. That's where Derek and the rest of the Guild is_.

Once across the bridge, Link quickly stepped aside and let people pass by. Everything was going by so quickly, he barely had time to process it all. Be briefly wondered where Blue was and if she had been more successful in saving her family than he did. She must have already left, and he didn't even know if he would find her again.

As he looked around, he noticed a few people clustered in groups. Some of them sitting in the grass and crying hysterically, others standing and talking amongst themselves quietly. There were a few kids grasping at their mother's skirts and a few people hugging one another as if their lives depended on it.

What caught his attention more was a familiar face talking to someone. The Goddesses must have felt like he deserved something for all of his misery today, because he nearly fell over in relief when he saw her.

It was Blue. She was talking with a short brown haired girl and a tall black haired man.

Link shot forward. Thank the Goddesses... someone he _recognized_. He hadn't even said anything, yet her gaze shifted towards his as he pushed through the clusters of people. He noticed that she was trying just as hard as he was to control her emotions, her face contorted in a mixture of emotions he couldn't quite identify, but relief flashed on her face at the sight of him.

"Link!"

The other two people looked in his direction curiously. He looked utterly atrocious and he was a complete stranger, but for once he was just thankful to find her. He didn't care about the other people.

"Link?" The black haired man echoed, looking at Blue curiously. "What?"

"It's a long story. Just give me a moment." Blue waved him off and stepped towards Link. "Are you okay? You look positively horrible. Is that your blood?"

"No, it's not. I'm..." He trailed off. He knew 'fine' was definitely out of the question, but it was his usual answer. As he looked at Blue, he grit his teeth and settled on, "I'm not physically injured."

Blue sighed briefly before looking back at her other companions. "Good, that's good."

"Blue," The black haired man spoke up again, demanding, "who is this?"

"I'm sorry," Blue looked at him and the other girl, holding her hand up and gesturing to Link. "This isn't exactly the best situation for introducing people, but this is Link. I... know him. He's an acquaintance... of sorts. Link, this is Jake and Ariza."

"An _acquaintance?_" Jake echoed her again. "From _what?_"

"From _something_." Blue shot back, slightly agitated. "I'll tell you later. This really isn't important right now."

"Wait a minute!" Ariza chimed in, realization crossing her round features. "I know the name Link. He's the wanted thief that recently escaped prison!"

"A _thief?!_" Jake's shocked voice shot out, thoroughly displeased. "What are you doing talking with a wanted _thief?!_"

"Dear Farore!" Blue barely contained her anger as she whirled around at them. "The city is literally crawling with Gerudo, falling to the ground, and you are questioning why I'm talking to a _thief?!_ We can talk about this later!"

"Blue," Link interjected, placing his hand on her shoulder. The last thing he needed was her losing herself. He needed at least one person to be strong. "It's all right. We just need to go."

"I know!" Blue whirled around again, her anger now directed at him. "But we have nowhere _to_ go!"

She was obviously just as flustered as he was about the whole situation. It didn't escape his attention that Jake and Ariza were definitely not her mother and brother. He briefly remembered Blue mentioning to him that Jake was the name of her sweetheart. Ariza must have been the close friend she talked about every now and again as well.

With the absence of her family, he realized she was probably just as broken down as he was inside. She had lost them too.

"Derek left for Kakariko."

Blue's gaze shifted to surprise as she looked at him. "He's already on his way?"

"Whoa, wait a minute," Jake demanded again, "who is 'Derek'?"

Ignoring the other Hylian, Link nodded. "Yes, we need to meet him there. He took the surviving members of the Guild with him."

Blue looked at him cautiously. "How do you know?"

Her words jabbed at him painfully. He knew she didn't mean to, but it hurt nonetheless. He tried his best not to show it, but he felt himself falter as he spoke. "I- I... I will tell you later."

His chest constricted as Blue's gaze shifted knowingly. He was covered with blood that wasn't his, and he did tell her he was going to go get Velia and Derek. Derek was on his way to Kakariko, and Velia wasn't here...

"Oh, oh, uhm... right."

Ariza stepped forward. "Sorry to cut this short, but what _exactly_ are we doing? Kakariko is a two day trip on foot, and we don't have any supplies."

"We'll just need to go. We can survive two days on foot." Link answered, but he immediately regretted his words when Ariza and Jake jumped.

"Two days? On foot? With no food?" Jake stammered. "Are you mad?"

Link's barely controlled anger flared. "What do you want me to do? Magically conjure an elaborate feast for us?"

"Now look," Blue interrupted, obviously sensing Link's anger. "Let's just go, all right? Link is right. Link also knows where we can stay when we get to Kakariko."

Link huffed. "Well, I don't-"

"I'm supposed to trust this guy? A stranger? A random thief from the streets? I'm supposed to trust him with our safety?" Jake thrust out furiously.

Link noticed immediately that this guy was _not_ going to be easy to get along with.

"No, you are going to trust _me_ with your safety." Blue leveled a glare back at him.

"You are not-"

"Shut your mouth and listen to orders for once, Jake."

The utter look of surprise on Jake's face would have made Link snort if it had been any other day.

"Do you know the way?" Blue looked back at Link, searching his gaze for any hesitation.

"Yes." He answered, although he was still unsure of himself. So much just happened that he couldn't think coherently. He surely hoped Blue did not expect him to be their leader. He was no leader, not now, not ever.

The words that came from her next damned him.

"Then lead us there."

* * *

**A/N:** So. Here we are. The ball is rolling. Rupee for your thoughts? Lol

As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. :)


	9. Chapter 8

The sun in the sky was just starting to disappear over the horizon. Despite it being a completely terrible day filled with pain and destruction, the sky was saturated with beautiful hues of orange and purple. Hyrule field looked just as beautiful, the lush greenery of early summer starting to boom. Animals scurried out and about, quickly darting when they noticed any sign of a threat in their area.

Then there they were, four refugee Hylians, looking completely and wholly worn out. As soon as their leader collapsed, they all did, falling into the grass in tattered, burned, bloodstained heaps.

Blue heard Jake's familiar groan as he rolled over to face her, murmuring a weak, "how much further?"

"We made it pretty far." Link's voice answered, almost just as weak. "Let's rest here for a moment."

"Can 'for a moment' mean forever?" Ariza mumbled quietly, curling into a ball.

Blue already felt her strength leaving her as she began to doze. She knew she shouldn't sleep. That she should be the one to take the reins and push everyone on even further when Link couldn't. For some reason, Link was even more withdrawn than normal. Anytime someone spoke to him, he bristled. Anytime someone tried to lighten the mood, he didn't smile. She hadn't asked him what was wrong, but she knew something must have happened when he left her in Castle Town. Whatever it was, it must have hurt him greatly for it to get to him this much.

Even before this, Link was starting to close himself off more. On missions and in the tavern, she noticed him gradually getting more tired. She had just assumed he was overworking himself, which he did often, but his mood and appearance were quickly deteriorating. Maybe there was something more going on in his mind.

There was an ache in her own chest, but she tried to ignore it. At the moment, she was so unbelievably tired. She hadn't realized how tired she was until she felt how soft the grass was, or how warm the air around was. Despite everything, she felt like she could sleep for a decade in the middle of Hyrule Field.

She didn't know what time it was or how long she fallen asleep for, but something was suddenly jostling her arm. She had dozed off without realizing it, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Ariza's blurry silhouette framed by the light of the stars and moon.

"Blue? Blue, are you awake?"

"What-" Blue cut off, sitting up drearily. "What time is it?"

"We all fell asleep. Link was the first one awake. Link, she's awa-" Ariza cut off when she looked beyond Blue, her lips pursing in annoyance. "Oh great. His Thiefly-ness is gone."

Blue turned to follow Ariza's gaze, which landed on a blank patch of pressed grass.

Ariza groaned and stood, throwing her hands up. "Wow, thanks. He just left without us. Remind me again why we are supposed to trust him?"

"I'll find him." Blue stood herself, gritting her teeth when she realized her legs were sore. "Make sure Jake is ready to go when we get back."

Ariza's groaned in frustration as she turned and stalked off.

It wasn't incredibly hard to find Link. She was glad to see he hadn't wandered off too far when she found him a few yards away from where they had collapsed. He was just around a bush a few yards away, sitting with his back to the group and staring at his hands.

She tried her hardest not to startle him, but when she opened her mouth he jumped.

"Link? Are you-" She paused, noticing the dark circles that had formed around his tired eyes. Those were new. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he answered quickly. "I'm fine."

Looking at his tattered appearance, she pressed on. "Are you really?"

"Let's go." He ignored her question completely as he stood and turned his gaze away. He quickly brushed past her, walking to where Jake and Ariza were.

"That isn't-"

"Don't." He interrupted as he continued on. His entire form was tense as he walked away, refusing to look back at her.

She sighed deeply and followed him, obeying his request.

Jake and Ariza were impatiently waiting for them, surprise flickering in their gazes as Link continued walking past them with a simple and curt, "follow me."

Blue stopped, watching for a moment as Link went on.

"Is he okay?" Ariza asked.

Blue glanced at her friend, who's expression peered out to Link confusedly. "I don't know."

"That's hardly our concern." Jake stated as he grasped Blue's arm lightly and started following. "We just need to make it to Kakariko. Once there, his problems are his own."

"Excuse me?" Blue frowned at him, shooting daggers at his turned face. "I think it is our concern when a friend is-"

"Excuse _me_, Blue," Jake interrupted, his green gaze fixing on her angrily, "but he is not my friend, and most assuredly not yours or Ariza's."

"What's gotten into you?" Blue attempted to free herself from his grasp, which he allowed reluctantly. "I can't have another friend?"

"No, that's not it." He defended, although there was a hostile bite to his dark voice. "You just don't need a wanted thief as a friend. You don't need to get mixed into that."

Blue huffed, mumbling. "Well, you are a bit too late."

Jake stopped dead in his tracks and turned, shoulders suddenly stiff with rage as his gaze fixed on them aggressively. Blue and Ariza halted before him and gaped in surprise.

"_What?!_"

Blue immediately regretted her choice of words. "Jake, we can talk about this later-"

"No, there is no '_later'!_ There is '_right now'! _Explain!"

"Why does it matter right now?" Blue shot back, trying to mask the hurt in her voice but failing.

Jake was seething. She had no idea if he was truly angry at her or if he was simply angry at the whole situation, but it didn't matter. He was angry at her now, and that made her chest tighten.

"You're not allowed to have friends who put you in constant danger like this!" He yelled, which echoed throughout the area.

Blue tried to find her voice to yell back at him but failed. So much had happened today. She was so tired. She was trying to stay strong for everyone, but she could quickly feel her control slipping. Even as her composure crumbled and she allowed tears to form, Jake held his firm stance and made no move to comfort her. Ariza stood to the side, her eyes wide with surprise as she stared at the both of them, unsure of what to do.

Just as Jake opened his mouth again, most likely to defend his actions, Link's gauntleted hand shot out and grabbed the man's shoulder. He yanked him back, getting his full attention.

"The entirety of Hyrule will hear your tantrum." Link scolded darkly, tired azure gaze fixing on him. "Calm down."

"I do not understand why we have to follow _you!_" Jake shouted again, changing the subject to prod at the other man.

"Because I'm the only reason you aren't wandering around like lost dogs right now!" Link let his visual weariness morph into anger, although the dark circles around his eyes betrayed his strength. "I'm not _making_ you follow me! Leave when you damn well please!"

"Maybe we should!" Jake argued, his feet digging and twisting into the grass. "I'm sure we can find our way perfectly fine! What could a thief know about anything?"

Blue watched as Link's hands curled into fists, his arms clenching with unleashed rage. How he held back from punching him, she didn't know. In the time she knew Link, she noticed he had an incredibly short temper that should never be, by no means, tested. Jake did not know Link, nor did it seem like he wanted to, but she knew Jake shouldn't be arguing like this right now. They were all annoyed, they were all hurt, and they were all exhausted. Jake was just venting his frustration on them.

"Jake, please," Blue supplied weakly," just stop. We have enough to worry about."

"I'm not following him one more second!" Jake whirled around to Blue, stepping over to her quickly and grasping her forearm. His other hand shot out to grab Ariza's, yet the other girl yelped and quickly avoided him, slipping over to Link.

"Jake..." Blue murmured, trailing off as she tried to find the words. "Look, you don't have to follow him for much longer. Let go. Please, let's go and we can argue about all of this when we are in a better state. I'm... I'm staying here, with them. I'm traveling behind Link, whether you like it or not. Please, if it bothers you so much, you can follow me instead of him."

Aggravation contorted Jake's face as he glared around, fighting with his decision. What brought it all on, Blue couldn't understand, but she just hoped he would calm down and follow them. He and Ariza were the closest thing to family she had right now, and she desperately did not want him to leave.

After what felt like ages, Jake gave an irritated huff, letting go of her arm as he turned away but gave his definitive answer in a bitter tone.

"All right. Fine."

The relief Blue felt crashed onto her like a monumental wave.

Link turned, refusing to look at them as he started off again.

Jake watched him go momentarily before he looked at Blue, mouth upturned in disgust. "But I follow you."

* * *

_Death. Destruction._

_Link felt himself curl up on a cold stone floor, cradling his burning hand as it began sizzling. It was one of the worst things he had ever felt. He would cut it off if he could to finally be rid of this pain._

_"Oh wonderful," a dark, grim voice echoed throughout the darkness that surrounded them. "You are here like a pig for slaughter."_

_Wearily, Link opened his eyes, focusing on who stood before him. A Gerudo man with flaming red hair and a piercing red gaze stared at him, a devious smile spread across his lips as he regarded the Hylian boy. Every Hylian knew who this man was. The man that was in charge of all the misery in the world. The man who sought to control everything and transform it into a horrific, terrifying future. The terrifying Gerudo King himself._

_Ganondorf._

_"You do not even know how to control it. It is consuming you." Ganondorf observed, striding over to where Link laid crumbled on the floor._

_Every step the Gerudo King took made Link's hand hurt even more, pulsating as he came closer._

_"How... entertaining."_

_Ganondorf stopped as he stood over Link, smiling down at him as he raised his own right hand, fingers flexing as he observed the back of it._

_"Perhaps you were never destined to wield such power like this."_

_The Gerudo King made a fist with his hand, turning it so the backside showed._

_The Triforce glowed brightly from underneath his heavy gauntlet, illuminating the surrounding area with its golden aura. A soft ringing sound accompanied the glow, ringing in Link's ears. The top triangle of the symbol glowed the brightest._

_Power._

_Link looked at his own hands, cringing as he felt like a dagger was cutting through his skin. To his horror, he watched as the same golden aura developed around his left hand. The Triforce appeared out from under his own gauntlet, flickering like mad. Every pulse hurt._

_It didn't take long for Link to realize in horror that he wasn't only lying on the stone floor in pain, but he was crumpled in a pool of his own blood. He gazed down to find his tunic soaked and ruined, tattered beyond comprehensible repair._

_And a gleaming sword with a royal purple hilt imbedded in his chest._

_._

_._

Link shot up, gasping loudly as he was ejected from the nightmare. Hyperventilating, he gazed around to find himself sitting in grass, surrounded by his companions. The gentle rustle of a river in the background and the chirp of insects brought him back to his senses.

He was all right. He was alive. He was next to Zora's River, which was the last thing they needed to cross before they reached Kakariko. They had stopped to rest out of sheer exhaustion. Everyone had fallen asleep quickly. They were so exhausted.

Lately when he slept, it was nightmare after nightmare. He could ignore them at first, but now they were interfering with much needed rest. It had been like that over the past few days, before the Gerudo invasion. It just wasn't as noticeable then, and no one questioned him about it. He'd have nightmares he couldn't quite remember, but they were there. They didn't make any sense usually, and held no feeling of premonition.

This one though. It was vivid. He could feel it. It felt real.

He quickly looked at his hand, the same burning sensation still there, but the surface had not changed. He looked down at his tunic, panicking when he found blood. Was it his? Had his dream been correct?

He remembered Velia and Castle Town, the fire and destruction caused by the Gerudo, feeling a mixture of relief and sadness in one quick emotion.

"Link?" A gentle voice spoke next to him, pulling him back to reality.

His head shot around to find Blue's concerned gaze. He had apparently woken her. He didn't know he had been so loud.

"I'm sorry." He apologized quickly, trying to calm his breathing. "Go back to sleep."

"Something is wrong." Blue stated simply, adjusting herself so that she sat on her knees before him, the edges of her cloak bunched up out around her.

"Nothing is wrong." Link defended quickly, casting his gaze away. He did need to talk. He didn't want to talk.

Blue didn't buy it for a second, pressing on with her interrogation. "You are more introverted than normal. You look so tired, and you just woke up gasping and hyperventilating. Link, something is _wrong_."

"I'm not very sociable. We are all tired. Nightmares happen."

"Link, you nearly collapsed earlier because you could barely _stand_."

A twinge of shame reminded him. _That_ was why they had stopped to rest. He couldn't even walk.

"I don't need to talk about it."

"Something happened," Blue pressed on. Link bristled in annoyance at her persistence. "Something happened during the invasion of Castle Town. Is that what this is all about?"

"No."

Blue huffed and grasped his arm, pulling at him until his attention lifted to her. "Then what is it?"

"Why do you care? I'm out of your hair when we reach Kakariko tomorrow." He hadn't meant for the words to sound as bitter as they did.

Blue pursed her lips and looked away for a moment, uncertainty in her face as she spoke. "I don't exactly want to leave you in such a state. I mean, as much as you may not, I do consider you somewhat of a friend. You know, despite the fact I'm a pompous noble."

Link looked at the grass, refusing to look up at her anymore. She had horrible taste in friends. Between Ariza, Jake, and now him.

"This is about Velia." Blue stated bluntly. He had expected her to mention it sooner or later, but he was still unprepared.

His gaze flickered up to hers for a brief moment. She wasn't dumb. He told her the blood on his tunic wasn't his. Velia wasn't here. It wasn't hard for her to put two and two together.

The look of mirrored sadness that filled Blue's eyes suddenly almost broke him, but his despair was quickly muffled with surprise when she shot forward and hugged him around his shoulders.

As quickly as her embrace came, it left, but she kept a hold of his forearms as she leaned back.

"I don't know what to say... I'm..." Blue trailed off, trying to find the right words. "I'm sorry."

Link was beside himself. Blue hadn't known Velia for very long, but her voice and mannerisms showed her distress. He guessed it was just one more person to add to her death toll list. Her mother, her brother, and now her boss that she had grown a fast liking to.

"It's... I'll live." Link supplied, although meekly.

"Was she... all you had?"

"No," he answered hastily, "I have Derek. I've known them both for as long as I can remember. They took me in when they found me as a boy. It's just... she was more than just my boss. She's the closest thing I had to a family."

"What about your real parents?"

He didn't exactly know how to answer that question. He didn't know if they were alive or dead. He barely knew who they were. He had ran away from home so young he didn't even remember them. Velia had offered to help him find out, but they had both put off that mission since it wasn't exactly important to the Guild.

"I don't know them." Link murmured.

"Oh. I, uhm..." Blue trailed off again, obviously unsure of what to say. He knew she had been close to her parents. It must have been weird for her to think that other people didn't have such a connection. "I am sorry?"

"We should sleep." Link stated curtly, trying to get off the conversation. He wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes and try sleep again. He wanted desperately just to sleep. No more nightmares. No more exhaustion.

"All right." Blue seemed to understand his discomfort and stood, offering a weak smile. "At least when we reach Kakariko we don't have to sleep on the grass and drink from a river."

"I don't know," Link felt the slight twinge of amusement, though he didn't show it outwardly, "I rather like it. Though I'm sure your pampered noble lover and friend dislike this very much."

She shot him a fleeting cynical look, but it lacked the normal bite it would normally have. He knew she was just trying to lighten his mood. It helped very little.

He purposefully kept his burning hand a secret from her. Blue knew Velia, knew that she was one of the main causes of his sorrow and exhaustion. His hand, however, was another matter. She didn't need to know about that.

He didn't speak to anyone come morning. He barely slept at all. After he lay back down on the grass, sleep avoided him. There was an odd, eerie feeling in his thoughts, riddled with the idea of continuous nightmares and premonitions. He wished they would never come true.

His companions followed as they traveled and neared Kakariko, talking amongst themselves. He didn't exactly pay attention, although Blue had prodded him a few times. He refused to be sociable. He didn't feel like it.

Kakariko Village was only an hour or two away. He just had to survive until then.

"So what happens if Evelyn and Tye are not in Kakariko?" Jake's masculine voice rang out behind him. "Do we have any plans for that?"

There was a brief silence after his remark before Ariza's voice cut through. "What about your parents?"

Jake scoffed. "They wouldn't be of much help. I live alone now, remember? They weren't very keen on the idea of me moving out so soon. I haven't talked to them since."

"What?" Blue's surprised voice echoed softly. "Castle Town just fell, and you think they wouldn't help? Do you even care?"

"Of course I care. That isn't what I meant."

"What did you mean?"

Link tuned out the rest of the conversation, partly because he didn't wish to pry and partly because it simply wasn't interesting. While it kept his consuming thoughts at bay, it didn't help ease his anxiousness. He just wanted to get to Kakariko, find Derek, and try to readjust to life.

That is not what happened when they entered Kakariko.

Link had expected it to be busy. A lot of Castle Town refugees fled to Kakariko simply because it was one of the biggest towns around, and it was fairly close. Kakariko was well secluded near Death Mountain, easily defendable from any Gerudo attack. The race of Gorons that lived in Death Mountain were allies of the Hylians as well. Their chief, Darunia, was fairly close to Princess Zelda on top of it. It was a very viable option for a refugee safe haven.

As they came to the village gates, Hylian soldiers stood guard. They interrogated their ragtag group briefly, recognizing them easily as Hylians. Link was momentarily surprised that the soldiers had not apprehended him since he knew he was easily recognizable, but he pushed the thought aside when he figured they had grander things to worry about.

A few recognizable thieves stopped them as well, asking for their names and stating that it was good to see him alive.

Kakariko, while being a rather large village, was never very loud. The people who lived there were humble and quiet, choosing to live in a secluded, countryside village rather than a bustling city. Link had come here many times, both by himself and on business, relishing in the gentle, quieter atmosphere of Kakariko in general.

It was a madhouse now.

Refugees lined the streets, sitting against buildings, rustled in the pathways leading between buildings. More than once a few figures bumped into him, casting him annoyed glances. Even a few hulking Gorons were here, chatting with a few of the refugees. They must have heard about the invasion and come down the mountain path to help with the chaos.

Derek was somewhere here, and that made Link's heart a little lighter. Blue, Jake, and Ariza followed him blindly as he made his way toward the Guild's headquarters here in Kakariko. While not particularly big, multiple sister Guilds had formed in larger towns, mimicking the actions of Velia's thieves in the crumbling infrastructure of Hyrule. He vaguely knew the people who ran the Guild here in Kakariko. He hoped they'd recognize him. He was pretty popular after all. The wanted posters around the kingdom made sure of that.

Halfway across the village, Link stopped briefly in front of an older, dusty brick building. Blue's hand shot forward, grasping his arm lightly as he reached out to touch the doorknob.

"What is this?" She inquired softly. "You haven't said a thing since we got here."

"It's the Guild headquarters of Kakariko. Derek should have made it here. Knowing him, he's taken tabs on every refugee here in the village. If your mother and brother are here, he should be able to direct you to them. Then you can leave."

A momentary flash of relief crossed her features as Link turned, opening the door. The familiar site of cloaked thieves greeted him. Warm and inviting, he suddenly felt home. Across the room, framed by the wooden pillars holding the ceiling of the building up, was the very man they were looking for, talking with someone Link didn't know.

Derek must have heard the squeak of the door opening because his head turned, his gruff face morphing into a lighter expression as he recognized them.

"Link!" He bellowed happily, excusing himself from his current conversation and rushing over to the teenagers, arms outstretched in greeting. "And what d'ya know, Blue!"

"Thank the gods," Link breathed.

"What have ya been through?" Derek regarded Link's appearance with concern, eyes flickering to his disheveled tunic. His gaze swayed to Blue, Jake, and Ariza, who were in much better shape than he was. "No, no, wait, hold that reply. Y'all are probably parched, hungry, an' exhausted. I'll be right back. We can discuss in a moment."

Derek left quickly, leaving the teenagers slightly confused. He returned a few minutes later, drinks and dried food rations in his hands. He thrust the food into their hands, ushering them to follow him to a more secluded place of the building to rest and talk.

"Somethin' better can be made later by the cooks later for ya'. They are workin' so hard. No one expected this to happen." Derek huffed out, groaning as he took a seat on the floor.

"It's- it's-" Link faltered as he sat down, overwhelmed. "Thank you."

Blue, Jake, and Ariza sat down beside him, happy to finally be off their feet and shoving their faces. Derek hurriedly shot out a million questions, asking what they had been through and if they were okay. Link remained quiet, not wanting to relay the information he knew to Derek in such a casual setting. Blue humored the older man with their small adventure.

She introduced Jake and Ariza, and Derek eagerly shook their hands and remarked that it was nice to finally put a face to Blue's outside friends. Jake's face held a look of skepticism, and he gave Blue a few leveled glares. To Link's surprise, Jake remained quiet about the whole situation. Blue had kept a private life from him, and he had been so heated about it as they were traveling. He had expected the other boy to jump up and yell, spouting accusations and hurt. Yet he remained quiet, silently watching the others as he ate.

Puzzled by his quietness, Derek cast Link a few worried looks. He never inquired about his appearance though, which Link was grateful for.

"Have you kept tabs on everyone here in Kakariko? Link said you might." Blue turned a hopeful look toward Derek as she bit into a piece of bread, pulling Link's attention as he heard his name.

"Oh yes, my group of thieves and I were some of the first refugees to arrive. Since then, I have had a few of them tally and take the names of who are here. You remember giving your names to a few people as you came in, right? Or are they slacking off?"

Blue's face lit up. "Oh yes!" She paused and looked down at her hands, mulling something over in her head. After a moment, she hesitantly added, "Can I... can I see the full list?"

"Of course," Derek's smiled, facial hair scrunching, "just state your name and ask. It's not private knowledge."

Without finishing, Blue hurriedly set her meal down and stood. Impatiently, she bowed to Derek. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I need to go."

"I'll come with you." Jake finally spoke up, rising to his feet along with her.

Ariza stood as well, nodding in agreement.

"Thank you, Derek." Blue stated again. "I don't know what's going to happen. I might not come back here if we leave. But thank you. I feel bad."

"Oh, Blue, it was a pleasure." Derek stood along with them, leaving Link the only one remaining on the floor. "I hope ya can find a better place to call home, away from all of this trouble. It saddens me to see ya go, though. Ya'll should visit. You are still welcome in the Guild."

"I'll consider it, though my secret has been... discovered." Blue's face fell a little as her gaze flickered to Jake. Jake made no outward reaction, though Link could see his face twitch ever so slightly.

Blue's attention shifted to Link, and although he wasn't looking at her, he could feel it.

"What?" He remarked, more bitter than he originally intended to sound.

"I don't know if I'll see you again. I hope you... uhm... feel better." She offered weakly, obviously unsure of how to voice her thoughts.

"I hope you do too."

He regretted his words a bit when he looked at her and found a somewhat hurt expression cross Blue's features. He hadn't intended to be so blunt, but he frankly didn't care. It was whatever. She and her friends could do whatever they wanted with their lives, and he was never very good at goodbyes. He still had Derek. He was all he needed for a friend.

Even as Blue, Jake, and Ariza left, Link attempted to convince himself that he didn't need them. He wasn't particularly social. Blue had periodically annoyed him when Velia sent them on missions together. He preferred to work alone. He always had. He was a loner.

As the door shut behind them and his left hand throbbed, he didn't quite believe himself.

* * *

**A/N:** Stuff is about to happen. You can feel it :P


	10. Chapter 9

There was no reason for him to be cold, but he was? Feeling a deep, lingering guilt, Blue made her way across Kakariko to the gates. Jake and Ariza followed on her heels, as quiet as ever, mourning in their own ways.

She had to remember that she had her own life that didn't need to intersect with Link's. He was fine on his own. He always commented about the fact he disliked working with people. His social skills were indeed not the best, and he wasn't very good at teamwork.

When the three of them left though... why did he seem so... disappointed?

She had her own life, though. They all did. Jake, Ariza, Derek, and Link. So much had happened over the last few days. Surely their paths had to split in different directions.

Blue noticed Jake casting Ariza a few glances, obviously displeased with her presence. She knew he wanted to talk to her privately about her involvement in the Thieves Guild, and how she had come to know random lowlife people like Link and Derek. She knew his interrogation would happen the second they were alone, so she was trying her best to avoid that for as long as possible. She felt awkwardly embarrassed in his presence, hoping her decisions had not ruined how he felt for her.

But his hand came out a few times, brushing along her back and gently prodding her attention. He did not seem outwardly angry at her specifically. His frustrated venting on Link seemed to calm any other arguing he may have harbored for either Ariza or her, but that only relieved Blue somewhat. Without a word she turned her head to meet his surprisingly calm gaze after he murmured something unintelligible.

"I hope we find them." He said again louder, peering at her earnestly.

Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected him to say that.

"I hope so too." She replied weakly, managing a smile at his words.

He returned the smile to the best of his own ability. "I am sorry for being so difficult."

"It's all right." Blue supplied as she caught sight of the cloaked thieves manning the entrance, a book and quill in each of their hands. There were still crowds of Castle Town refugees piling in through the entrance, keeping them exceptionally busy.

"No, it's not all right. I shouldn't be so cold, especially now." Jake huffed out, displeasure evident in his voice. "When we- when we have time, I mean, we should... talk."

Not wishing to have the conversation escalate any further with Ariza behind them (and obviously listening in), Blue gave a curt nod with a short, "okay."

"Am I being intrusive?" Ariza inquired, snooping as she always tended to do. "I'm sorry. There is obviously much for you two to discuss..."

"No, no. In fact," Blue looked at her friend quickly as they continued to walk, catching Jake's frown in the side of her eye, "this is a conversation I could have with the both of you. But let's just... focus on one thing at a time for now. We need to see if our families made it."

Jake made no argument, but the mild irritation in his expression betrayed his idea toward Ari being involved. Ariza's face lit up briefly for the first time in a while, and Blue felt somewhat better.

Blue led the two other Hylians through the advancing crowd, searching for someone she may recognize. There were countless, and while some faces were familiar, none were anyone she personally knew. It wouldn't be long before everyone was crammed and packed tight in Kakariko until they couldn't move. As their little trio approached one person with a quill and book, the cloaked head looked up to reveal an older woman.

"Have you checked in?" The thief inquired as Blue's face lifted and stared at the book. The book practically had the answers to her future in it.

"We came to inquire about... about a few people. We need to know if they, uhm, came to Kakariko."

Not bothering to hide her annoyance, since she was most likely extremely busy, the woman huffed and stared at the contents of the book. Thankfully, she complied. "What are their names?"

"Evelyn and Tye Oscabellow."

For a few agonizing moments, the woman licked her finger and shuffled to a certain section near the middle of the book. Time seemed to stop for Blue as the thief flipped page by page, searching for her answer.

What if they were not there? What if they _were_? But what if they weren't? What would she do? Where would she go?

What-

"I am sorry miss, but I do not see anyone here by the name of Evelyn or Tye Oscabellow."

Blue's heart sank as low as it could possibly go. Her skin felt immediately cold. It took her a few moments to process exactly what the woman said and what it implied, but when the full reality set in, the world swerved out from under her feet and grew fuzzy.

"Blue!" Jake's distressed call echoed in her ears. She felt large hands wrap around her before her knees gave out completely.

"I'm... sorry?" The thief woman gazed down at Blue as her vision swayed.

"I- I need to sit down." Blue supplied weakly, gripping her head as it pulsed. Jake complied, helping her sit on grass that suddenly felt like a bed of nails.

Her mother.

Her brother.

He was only _six_.

A momentary flash of anger coursed it's way through Blue's body, though she quickly pushed it aside.

There was still a chance, right? There are still loads of people piling in from Castle Town still, getting checked in. Maybe they hadn't arrived yet. Maybe they had snuck in without alerting anyone. Maybe... maybe their names were in one of the other thieves' books? They couldn't be missing. They couldn't be gone. They couldn't be dead.

They were probably dead.

"Ma'am?" A fuzzy woman's voice made her look up. It suddenly felt too bright outside. Everything was swerving, and everything was too vivid or too loud.

"Blue, can you hear me?" Jake's face came into view, more refined and recognizable than the woman's. He hovered, kneeling in front of her, worry plastered over his handsome features.

_Yes_, she thought, but words refused to form in her dry throat.

"Blue!" Ariza's face came next, clearly panicked. "What are we going to do, Jake? Tye and Evelyn..."

Oh no.

"Ari!" Jake interrupted harshly, shoving the girl with his shoulder.

Oh no.

"Blue!" Jake's attention swerved back to Blue, grip tightening on her shoulders.

Do not panic.

"Blue, please listen to me!"

Do. Not. Panic.

The air seemed to leave her lungs, and when she tried to gasp, she couldn't breathe. She tried to get her lungs to work properly, but all she could do was wheeze in panic, feeling lightheaded. She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly nauseous.

"Blue!" Jake reached forward, grabbing her face with both of his hands. They were agonizingly cold against her warm skin. "Please listen. Please calm down. This is one book. We need to see the others. They could be here. They could still be traveling."

Blue tried to focus her gaze on Jake's green gaze, placing her hands on top of his and holding them against her face. She needed to think, she needed to not panic. They still had time. They still could be here. She shouldn't come to such horrid conclusions based on one answer.

Over and over she tried to get control over her breathing, attempting desperately not to pass out. Jake continued to talk her through her panic, offering anything from reassurances to condolences. All the while, she kept her gaze on his, trying to ground herself back to reality.

After what felt like an eternity, Blue tightened her grip on Jake's hands and let out a sigh to the best of her ability, finding air easier to obtain as her throat and chest loosened. Her skin was still an awkward mix of cold and hot, and she was sure there was an unappealing layer of sweat on her by now, but she hardly cared. The nauseous feeling remained in her gut, but was far less severe. All she could think was how happy she was to be able to breathe again.

Jake's hands fell from her face, but she kept a death grip on them as he relaxed.

"Thank the Goddesses," he breathed, "we did not need you passing out on us."

Ariza jumped forward, kneeling beside Blue. "I got some water from nearby." She quickly handed her friend the water pouch, a damp rag in her other hand.

"Let's-" Blue managed, finding her throat incredibly dry even after a drink, "-let's check the other books."

"Great idea!" Ari's voice held a hint of relief as she placed her arms around her friend and helped her to her feet. "There has to be more than one person keeping tabs on everyone coming into Kakariko Village."

Jake said something in response, probably something else encouraging, but it was lost to Blue's ears. The dreaded pit in her stomach returned. Despite their encouragements, she felt that even if they continued looking all day for not only her family, but their own as well, they would never find them.

They had asked all of the other thieves. They had searched all around Kakariko for familiar faces. They had waited almost the entire day, hoping that their families were just running late.

They never showed.

They never saw a glimpse of anyone familiar.

They never heard a word.

By now, Blue had taken to silence, sitting uncomfortably in the grass against the brick wall of a building. Ariza had split from them, proclaiming she wasn't going to give up searching. Jake had an increasingly hard time containing his frustration and anger about the situation, irritated by even the slightest question or misstep.

The sun in the sky had already begun to set, casting a reddish hue on the village as day slipped away to night. Jake was standing beside Blue, facing the wall and pressing his forehead against it. To her surprise, he hadn't said anything for a while, managing to contain his anger somewhat and redirect it at the resilient wall. Blue sat, staring at her hands in her lap, a million thoughts running through her already pounding head.

What were they going to do? Should they just stay in Kakariko? How long until the Gerudo came for Kakariko as well? Where was the King or Princess Zelda? Where were they going to live? Would Kakariko start having to kick people out because of the sheer amount of Castle Town residents seeking refuge? Where would they go if they couldn't stay in Kakariko? Was it just inevitable that the Gerudo were going to kill them all? Make slaves of them? Imprison them? Torture them? Banish them?

Swimming in her thoughts, Blue felt her panic rise again. Her chest constricted painfully, and her already dry throat felt like the Desert. It was suddenly both too hot and too cold, sitting in the dusk of the day wrapped in her cloak. Beginning to hyperventilate, she placed her hands on her neck.

"Please do _not_." Jake's impatient voice rang as he kneeled beside her again, taking her hands in his. "We do not have time for this."

"J-Jake..."

"Calm." Jake said again, though softer with more feeling.

Trying to calm her breathing yet again, Ariza appeared in the corner of her vision, trotting up to the two of them quickly. The downcast expression on her face explained her findings clearly.

"I didn't- is Blue okay?"

"She will be fine." Jake let go of her hands and stood, turning to Ari. "You didn't what?"

Without warning, trumpet blared and the clanking of armor echoed throughout the corridors of the village. Finding the sound obnoxiously loud on her already overly stimulated senses, Blue covered her ears quickly and shut her eyes. When would this end? Could this just be a nightmare they could all wake up from? Why? Why had they come? Despite finding the Thieves Guild and helping the poorer of Castle Town, had she done something to displease the Goddesses? Why had they _done_?

Faintly, muffled by both her headache and her hands, Blue swore she could hear "Her Majesty, Princess Zelda" and more annoying trumpets.

* * *

How lovely.

Her most gracious majesty, the beautiful jewel of Hyrule, Princess Zelda Nohansen Harkinian, had embraced Kakariko with her presence.

Annoyance radiating off of him like a newly kindled fire, Link stood leaning against the doorframe of Derek's tavern, eyes narrowed at the small band of Royal Court Guards dressed in radiant colors and glimmering armor leading a hidden Princess through the town.

How could Zelda, of all damn people, be alive? What gave her the Goddess given right to survive, when countless other hardworking people did not?

With mildly fleeting interest, Link watched as the Guards led the Princess to the back of the village and through the earthly arch leading to the graveyard.

Maybe this righteous Princess needed a little visit from a familiar criminal. She owed all of the refugees of Hyrule an explanation for what had happened to their city.

With an irate huff, Link snatched the new cloak Derek had provided him from the storage. He at least didn't look like a complete and total mess now. The suppliers at Derek's tavern were more than happy to provide him with new clothing, and he was happy to get out of the ashy bloodstained tattered mess that was his old tunic.

Picking his way through the horde of the crowd flocking to see the Princess, Link followed the pathway to the graveyard. What would the Princess of Hyrule want with the graveyard? Surely it was too late to pray for any type of salvation for Castle Town. It had to be completely obliterated and overrun by now.

Much to his disappointment, the entrance to the graveyard was guarded by a tangle of Royal Guards, fighting off other commoners as they requested audiences with the Princess.

As he approached a guard, his spear raised and pushing off a desperate unrecognizable Hylian woman, the soldier groaned in annoyance.

"Her majesty is not seeing anyone, under any circumstances. Step aside, young man."

Link looked into the guard's helmet, daring the man to recognize him. "I think the Princess owes her citizens an apology. Or an explanation. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh no," another guard groaned. "Look, as much as she would like, she is going through a very difficult time right now. The King has been murdered, and the city is in ruin. There is not much else to explain. Leave."

How dandy. The King of Hyrule was dead. And this made the Princess any more different than half of the other citizens of Hyrule?

Link dared to take a step forward, and all of the Royal Guards head's snapped in his direction. "What even is she doing in Kakariko's graveyard?"

Another commoner pushed past Link, clipping his shoulder as the man shouted something about also wanting an audience with the Princess to discuss his landholdings in the now destroyed Castle Town. Another person piled with him, shoving both Link and the first guy aside, shouting another absurdity about something completely irrelevant to the pressing issues.

Link was going to strangle something.

The clamor of the crowd rose, shouting different types of demands and requesting to see Princess Zelda. The guards scrambled to control the crowd and it's volume, spears and shields ready but unthreatening. They did a pretty poor job of controlling the unruly crowd, but the shouting died down almost instantaneously as, to Link's own surprise, the guards were forcefully parted by two small gloved hands, revealing the tired, disheveled, but still recognizable Princess of Hyrule.

Her hair was unruly, her clothing a mess of soot , stains, and rips, but her expression was stern and unwavering.

"I know you wish to speak with me individually regarding your families, your properties, and the devastation of our kingdom, but I beseech you to cease this panic and please allow me a chance to speak in regards to all of you."

Her appearance and plead quickly led to another uproar from the crowd.

"You demand us an explanation!"

"Where is my family?!"

"What do you plan to do about this?"

"What about the King?!"

The crowd was finally speaking on the same wave as he was, and Link enjoyed watching as Zelda's face fell forward in exhaustion and frustration.

"Please stop..." He heard her quiet voice huff. "I need you to listen."

"What we need is a hero, not an incompetent monarchy!"

"Why did your family kill the previous Hero of Time?!"

"What are you doing-"

"ENOUGH!" Zelda's hands lashed out, magic sparking from her fingertips in a loud snap to hold everyone's attention. The present anger on her face made Link's heart actually skip a beat. Had the Princess ever been this angry in front of anyone in such a professional sense? "I will not discuss my families' past actions with a crowd, and I will also not praise or condone them, but I will discuss the current situation and plans that are developing to help our citizens survive!"

Link had hardly noticed that the sun had finally dipped below the horizon, shadowing the entire area in darkness. Zelda held a bright light of white magic in her hand, illuminating her face and the general area around her. What caught Link's attention more was a small light emitting from the back of her right hand, glowing golden instead.

The mark of the Triforce glowed from beneath her gloves, and the triangle of Wisdom showed the brightest. How had he never seen that before?

Zelda caught his wandering gaze, eyes narrowed in accusation.

He didn't know what happened or what she did, but the moment her gaze reached his, his left hand burned immensely. Impulsively, he gasped and grasped his hand, staring down at it with disdain. What the hell was she doing? What the fuck was her deal?

When he glanced up, it offered no answers, but he found himself staring. She had clutched her right hand at her hip, biting her lip and grunting in discomfort. What unnerved him most was the sudden change in her expression. The tired and disheveled frustration on her face melted away into a look of interest and wonder, focused directly on him.

"Aren't you Link?" Zelda questioned, lowering the light from her face to mask her outwardly growing pain.

Apprehensive, Link responded quietly, gritting his teeth. "Yes."

"Impa." She turned to her Sheikah attendant standing next to her.

Oh hell no.

Link's eyes widened before he turned on his heels and pushed through the crowd, trying to hide himself as he fled. He quickly pulled the hood of the cloak over his head. People gasped and shouted in irritation, grunting as they were shoved aside by the frantic teenager.

He knew he had little chance of outrunning or outwitting a Sheikah warrior, but he at least had to try to make it to the tavern in time. What the heck was he thinking? Telling Zelda who he was. She was trying to get him arrested even _after _Hyrule fell?

"Young man!" Impa's shout echoed out behind him. "STOP!"

"Link, please!" Zelda's plea came after her attendant's, less accusing. "We do not mean you any harm!"

Uncharacteristically, Link nearly tripped when he heard Zelda's shout.

Push on. _Push on_. Do not fall for her traps. The tavern is what he needed to reach.

The ominous familiar door cloaked in shadow appeared in his vision and he threw it open, desperate to find some sort of sanctuary.

Then he realized, dawning on him like a painful tidal wave in his panic, what he just did.

He just lead Princess Zelda and her Sheikah attendant right to the heart of the falling Thieves Guild.

Way to go Link.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, is anyone still reading this? Lol. Life got in the way. The good news is... I moved into a new apartment! And it's the summer, so I have more free time. I really really REALLY want to finish this story, so I will try my hardest to continue! I hope you are enjoying my changes to the Zelda universe thusfar! As for hints, well, we will most likely meet a new important character next chapter, and a lot of questions you may have regarding this whole "killing the previous Hero of Time" business will hopefully be answered! As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!


	11. Chapter 10

A heavily gauntleted hand burst forward just as Link threw open the door to the Guild, gripping onto the back of his cloak. The Sheikah woman pulled on it roughly, the clasp of the cloak choking Link as he coughed and sputtered backwards into her awaiting grasp.

"Young man," Impa hissed a threat into his ear as he tried to recover his breath, the clasp still digging into his throat, "must I remind you that the Princess is still your superior, therefore you _answer_ to her."

Link eyed the Sheikah from the side, finding his hands were held securely behind his back. Her grip held a strength he couldn't hope to overcome, so he settled for sneering at the older woman as Princess Zelda approached.

"Impa, unhand him." Zelda's gentle voice came afterwards as she stepped toward the pair. "We promised not to hurt him."

Impa, unhappy but obedient to the girl, released him.

"Link, is that-" Derek opened the door fully and looked outside, investigating why it had been thrown open and then quickly shut. His face quickly paled at the sight of Link, the large Sheikah, and the Princess of Hyrule in front of his tavern, beaten and battered but standing in plain view. "-w-wha- LINK, what in the name of Farore?!"

"PRINCSS ZELDA!" An unhappy person screamed from behind them. "Do not run away from your citizens!"

"You owe us an explanation!"

"My family is gone because of _you!_"

Zelda's head darted over her shoulder in fear. Link looked on to see a growing crowd rapidly appearing, rage, irritation, and commotion quickly growing into a full out frenzy. The Hylian Guards did their best to keep the citizens at bay, threatening them with their weapons, but were obviously failing as their glittering armor retreated toward them.

"Please, good sir, let us inside?" Zelda pleaded, head whipping back around to face Derek. Link was momentarily surprised she hadn't demanded entrance and simply asked for it.

Knowing he couldn't disobey the Princess of Hyrule (especially with her menacing Sheikah attendant there casting him a heavy glare), Derek stepped aside and helped usher them in. Face still in utter shock, he shut the door and locked it securely behind them. For added measurement, Derek ordered two thieves to barricade the front door with bookshelves and tables. Moments later, the angry mob of people were banging on the doors and shouting for their Princess, and many other thieves rushed to secure the shutters of the windows.

"Is that the Princess of _Hyrule?_" An unrecognizable thief gawked as he stared. A few other awestruck thieves murmured in response. Derek was quick to hush and order them away.

"Link..." Derek trailed off as he turned to gaze at Zelda and Impa in disbelief. "... why... why is the Princess of Hyrule in our tavern?"

Link himself pondered the question before his eyes shifted towards the Hylian Royal, apprehension in his form. "Ask them?"

"Hello," was all Zelda could comply. "Thank you for allowing us to escape from the crowd."

Link was about to respond when he caught the sight of a familiar face in the corner of his eye approaching. His brow furrowed in confusion as he went to take a step.

Impa, unwilling to let the boy go so soon, quickly grasped his cloak again and yanked him back. "The Princess wished to discuss something with you."

"Where are my manners?!" Derek burst nervously, bowing at the hip. "Yer'- yer' Majesty, it is an honor to meet yer' acquaintance! Is there anything ya'd like? We have a fine assortment of food and drinks, yes?" The burly man turned and ordered a thief over, and the familiar face that Link had seen earlier stepped up at the boss' order. It was Blue, though her expression held a deep weariness to it. Why was she here again?

Jake emerged from behind her, his gaze fixed on Blue's form as he observed her with an unreadable expression.

"What, Derek?" Blue inquired in a tired tone. She glanced around and caught Link's face, though her visage didn't change until she caught sight of the Princess standing near him. Jake had already noticed, shock flashing over his sharp features, hands shooting up to grasp his lover's shoulders. Blue's eyes widened, and her weariness morphed into amazement and embarrassment as her face flushed. "Oh my- oh- uhm- your Majesty-"

"Please, the pleasure is all mine." Zelda waved off Derek and Blue's flustered attempts at formality. "You have saved my attendant and I from being mauled by an angry mob of citizens." She murmured something under her breath that Link couldn't quite hear, then turned her wondering gaze to him. Impa was obviously displeased at Link's lack of formality in relation to the others, though made no outward remark. She folded her arms neatly across an armored chest and waited for Zelda to speak again.

Link, ignoring the Princess' stare, was finding the pain in his left hand far more distracting than ever before. His hand twitched and throbbed, and he had a suspicious feeling it was the Royal girl's doing. His head was swimming with unanswered questions regarding almost everyone in the room, but he tried vehemently to ignore them as his head started to pound.

"You... you were grasping your hand in the clearing. Especially after I looked at you." Zelda observed as she stepped toward Link, arms outstretched a bit. For once, he didn't retreat.

"Why does my hand hurting concern you, _Princess?_" Link scoffed as he swiftly covered his left hand with his right, doing little to hide his confusion over the matter. His eyes flickered to the glowing gold mark on the back of her hand, another question popping into his head to join the countless other ones.

"Let me see it." She demanded quietly.

"No!" Link denied, appalled at the command. Of all things to demand, she demanded to see his hand? "Why do you even care? There are countless other people out there asking for your attention, but you are demanding to see _my_ hand? You even know who I am! Why don't you just arrest me and get it over with?!"

Zelda steeled her expression, pressing her lips into a firm line as she stood straight and tall, facing him fully. She was good at putting on a commanding exterior, looking every bit as confident and elegant as she looked standing on the castle steps mere weeks ago, delivering speeches and declarations to the entire town.

"I swear, on my honor as Princess of Hyrule and the eventual gravestone of my father, that neither I nor my attendant will arrest you."

The grip on his own hand lessened in shock as Link stared wide eyed in amazement, utterly dumbfounded.

In his moment of shock, Zelda pounced. Her hands shot forward, grabbing at his now exposed left hand. She barely had time to lift it before both thief and Princess cried and quickly reeled from one another, a sharp snap echoing throughout the tavern. Impa shouted in distress, lurching to catch the Princess as she fell backwards from an invisible force. Link felt a pair of hands catch him as the same force pushed him in the opposite direction. The hands were not strong enough to hold him, but they helped lessen the impact he had against the hardwood floor. He weakly glanced around to see Blue's nervous expression loom over before crumpling into himself, turning onto his side and pressing the hand that Zelda had just touched into his stomach.

"Link? Link can you hear me?" Blue's fuzzy voice made it past the metallic ringing in his ears.

Jake's came next. "Blue! Be careful!"

"Link!" Derek's distress sounded out after.

"Princess, are you all right?" Impa's voice was fuzzier than the rest of theirs; further away.

Link's stomached lurched as Zelda's voice came next. It was clear as day and rang in his ears like an echoing temple.

"The Triforce of Wisdom, Impa," Zelda said in complete disbelief, "It resonated..."

"What does that mean?!" Blue worriedly supplied, weakly shaking Link's shoulder. "You said you wouldn't arrest him, but you said nothing about killing him!"

"Stand aside!" Zelda's clear voice echoed in his ears again, commanding and harsh. "Let me see him! This is important! LET HIM GO!"

Link felt Blue's and Derek's hands immediately lift from his body with the panic in the Princess' voice. He felt nothing but pure and unbridled pain begin to course from the back of his hand up his arm. This pain, this pain that had been festering for days was now blinding and disorienting. He would have rather had his arm completely severed at this point. He was going to be sick, and he felt his body spasm at the feeling.

His eyes weakly opened as Zelda sat next to him. Impa had rounded and propped him up against her as she kneeled. Zelda's expression, eyes wide in nervous wonder, shot from his face to his hand as she pulled it toward her. He couldn't find the strength to pull it back, so he halfheartedly allowed her to do whatever she wanted. She unfastened the belt straps holding his gauntlet in place and yanked the leather away, leaving his hand bare. She quickly turned it over in her palm and gawked, gasp echoing around the area.

"Impa... IMPA!"

"Your Majesty..." Was all Impa responded with, laced with the same measure of disbelief.

What was so special about his burning hand? Had she disfigured it? Was something sticking out of it? Whatever did the Princess want-

Link's eyes had traveled to the source of his immeasurable pain and he finally had an answer. Blindingly golden light radiated from the back of it. It was moving slowly down his hand, leaving the horrendous feeling of a molten knife searing its way into his skin.

And it was branding something in a familiar triangular formation.

"The only unclaimed piece right now..." Zelda trailed as she gazed at the golden aura. "The only unclaimed piece is Courage."

"Courage belongs to the Hero of Time!" Derek pointed out in panic. "The next Hero has yet to be reincarnated! We'd know by now whose little tyke it'd be!"

Link's vision swerved as he gazed at the mark on his hand. The pain was quickly becoming too much. He wanted nothing more than to sever his own arm right now. Anything to put him out of this misery. To calm the churning in his stomach that threatened to rise with an unstoppable force. His vision swerved and he felt Zelda's hands shoot out and grasp his clammy face. The contact of her cold hands only made his stomach flip, and before he could comprehend anything else, his vision faded black and his body felt heavy.

* * *

They all watched as Link's form slumped forward and his eyelids closed, panic consuming the Princess' expression as his face fell from her hands. Impa was quick to ensure he didn't hit the floor.

"LINK!" Blue cried in unison with Derek as the young man lost consciousness.

"IMPA!" Zelda did little to hide her terror.

The room was quiet for a moment as Impa placed her hand on his forehead in concentration.

"He has a pulse, Princess." The Sheikah supplied calmly as she felt for it under his neck. "And I feel his presence. He is alive."

Zelda stood on her feet in an instant, hands coming to rest on her head as she recoiled in horror from her attendant and the unconscious boy. Her emotions were clear as day, a mixture of everything and anything a person could feel plastered on her face. Fear. Relief. Joy. Dread. "He cannot _be_...!"

Impa, having regained her composure, turned and pointed at Derek. "How old is this young man?"

"He's- he's nineteen, if I am not mistakin'..."

"We do not learn of the Hero of Time when he is nine_teen!_" Zelda shouted, ripping her own gloves off as she stared at a glowing mark on her right hand. "Not now, after Hyrule has fallen!"

Impa laid Link down gently on the floor as she stood up to console the Princess, holding out her hands and reaching for her with downcast eyes. "Your Majesty, nothing is certain-"

"NINETEEN _YEARS!_" Zelda nearly screamed in distress. "NINETEEN YEARS and my Triforce piece has NEVER led me to him!"

_Her_ Triforce piece? Shaking her head, Blue shuffled over to Link, pushing the hair out of his damp face to reveal a contorted and twitching expression. Her heart lurched as she reached down and placed a hand over his outrageously warm forehead. The only outward reaction he made to her hand was the grit of his teeth.

"We need to get 'im into a bed upstairs, quickly." Derek reached for Link, placing his burly arms under Link's smaller ones. "Jake, grab his legs and help 'im upstairs. Then we can send for a healer."

Jake nodded without protest, and Blue was surprised to see him look even mildly distressed. Was Link growing on him? Did he really feel sorry for him? It made Blue's heart lift just a tad as Derek and Jake heaved Link off the floor.

Zelda whipped around, pushing past her surprised attendant and shouting, "DO NOT TOUCH HIM!"

Blue recoiled a bit from her hostility, knowing the Princess and her attendant could most likely overpower them, but Derek stood firmer against the Princess' onslaught.

"Princess, with all due respect I can muster, Link is practically my _family_, an' we need to make sure he'll survive whatever ya' did!"

Clearly appalled, Zelda approached Derek and pulled on the burly man, rage enveloping her features the strongest. Derek grunted, attention flickering between the girl and trying to keep Link from falling. "You do not realize what has _happened!_ Your family, this boy, this young man, this infuriatingly frustrating thief, is the _Hero of Time!_"

The breath in Blue's heart stopped, and she felt her chest constrict.

The Hero of... _Time?_ She could not have heard that correctly. She looked at Link's dangling hand, the golden glow bright and strong as more of the Triforce symbol appeared through the skin.

Impa pulled the distressed Princess off the older man, holding her shoulders. "Princess, we need to consult the Light Spirit before we make any decisions."

Zelda whirled. "Do you not think he would have by now? This must be a mistake! The Hero of Time is _gone!_ I thought... I thought Ganondorf had obtained the Triforce of Courage?"

"Courage needs to have a host." Impa replied, letting go of the distressed girl. "Ganondorf is already Power's host. Perhaps he is not the true reincarnation, but Courage may have lied dormant in this boy for some time. Ganondorf may also have failed to retrieve it from Klein. Wisdom must have awakened it."

Blue's head whirled at the familiar names. Lord Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo? Hero Klein, the previous incarnation of the Hero of Time that died before she, Jake, or Link were even born?

"Why?" The Princess pleaded, blinking back tears as her gaze flickered back and forth from Link to Impa. "Why was is dormant? It has never been before. This does not make any sense, Impa..."

"I..." Impa trailed off, and Blue noticed her face falter for the first time. "I am unsure, Princess..."

"Do you mean to tell me," Zelda's voice cracked as she weakly gazed at her hand, and Blue noticed the symbol of the Triforce glowing on it, nearly identical to the symbol embedding itself onto Link, "that if I had gone looking for the Hero, I could have awakened him sooner and Hyrule wouldn't be in ruins?"

"This isn't your fault, Princess-"

"I don't mean to interrupt," Derek groaned as Impa and Zelda's gazes turned to him, "but Link 'ere still looks in a mighty bit of pain, so-"

The Sheikah woman strode to the unconscious boy's side, cradling him as she placed her hands under his knees and back. Hoisting him up and out of Jake and Derek's arms, his head fell onto her shoulder as she regarded the civilian Hylians. "Thank you for your time, but we will be taking him. Please, go about your own business."

Blue gaped, clearly appalled, feeling a slight bit of defiance rise within her. "He is not _property!_ You can't just take him!"

"You do not understand," Zelda supplied feebly from behind her attendant, "he has a piece of the Triforce, and we must know how he obtained it."

Blue's head whirled. First Hyrule falls with the destruction of Castle Town, then her mother and brother go missing, then the Hylian Princess shows up unannounced in the thieves Kakariko tavern, and then Link is suddenly rendered unconscious and supposedly proclaimed to be the lost reincarnation of the Hero. What, in the name of the three Goddesses, was going on in this Nayru forsaken kingdom?

"He obviously needs rest an' a healer." Derek deafened, reaching for the boy in the Sheikah's grasp.

Zelda reached to touch Link's hand and examine it, but quickly recoiled when he gave a pained yelp.

"You should probably refrain from touching him, I cannot imagine what is coursing through his body right now, and the Triforce of Wisdom does not seem to make it any better." Impa stated.

The Triforce of Wisdom?

The lines of random information began to connect the dots in her mind. Her chest constricted as Blue realized everything that the Princess and her attendant were saying. Everything from the visual evidence on Link and Zelda's glowing hands to the rumors of Lord Ganondorf's immense power.

Zelda held the Triforce of Wisdom. Ganondorf held the Triforce of Power.

Link now may hold Triforce of Courage.

"Excuse me?" Derek growled as Blue took a step back, clearly overwhelmed by her new information. "I mean no disrespect, my lady, but how do you plan on getting out of my tavern when an' angry mob is sittin' outside the door?"

Ever so quietly, Zelda turned around, hand diving under her cloak, and grasped something from one of the inner pockets.

"Please remain here." Impa ordered.

Finally, Blue looked up, wanting to distract the Sheikah and the Princess.

"Your Majesty," Blue started, voice weak and inquisitive, "you hold the Triforce of Wisdom?"

"These matters do not concern you." The Sheikah woman leveled a dark glare on the girl. Zelda, on the other hand, looked defeated.

"I am Zelda," the Princess supplied, "Princess of Hyrule, Keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom."

"Princess," Impa scolded, "there is no need-"

Zelda waved her attendant off, looking at Link as she pressed herself to Impa's side and raised the object she had hidden in her hands to her lips.

Blue's eyes widened. Derek reached out and clamped his hand over Blue's wrist in surprise. Anyone would recognize the small oval instrument anywhere, from scriptures to mosaics to stained glass windows decorating the various churches around Hyrule Kingdom.

The sacred heirloom of the Royal Family, kept hidden from the public eye. As delicate, shiny, and elegant as ever.

The Ocarina of Time.

Zelda brought the instrument to her lips, playing the first notes of an tune that Blue didn't quite recognize. It was short and sweet, light and airy, accompanied by the twinkle of yellow lights. A gust of unexplainable wind came through the closed and barricaded tavern, the Princess' hair and skirts lifting in the breeze. Blue pushed aside her own bangs and heard a soft hum accompanied by a twinkling noise, soon followed by lights that grew larger and materialized around the Royal and her companion.

Their bodies began to flicker and fade from reality.

Were they... they were _teleporting?!_

"Oh no ya' don't, yer Majesty! That's _my_ boy ya' got there!" Derek lunged for Link, seeming to forget Blue's wrist grasped in his other hand. Jake yelped in surprise and grasped onto Blue in an attempt to pull her back. Derek reached him in time, gripping Link's limp hand, and Impa's distressed echo sounded fuzzy as the four Hylians and Sheikah were quickly whisked away.

.

Blue's knees came into contact with cold tile as she fell forward, stomach flipping and feeling as if the air had been stolen from her lungs. She pressed her cheek to the floor as her knees gave out, attempting to ward off the fuzzy ringing in her head as Zelda shouted, echoing off tile walls while a soft hymn-like prayer reverberated in the background.

"I-I cannot believe- we told you to stay put! I will have you arrested when this is... when this is..."

"Princess!" Impa's voice came next, the shuffle of metal clanking as she rushed for the dizzy Princess. "Zelda, are you all right?!"

Blue glanced up, finding Derek holding his head a few paces away. Jake hovered over her, though his eyes were unfocused and distant.

"Are you all right?" Jake asked softly, helping her up into a sitting position.

"I- yes..." Blue sat with Jake's support, leaning on his arms.

"They- Impa they aren't supposed to be here!" Zelda exclaimed, though the bite in her voice was diminished from her dizziness. "This has never happened before... why are we all so weak? The Light Spirit will be furious."

"The Ocarina transported all six of us, that can be no easy feat with its limited magic..."

Blue tore her gaze from the royal girl, looking around to observe their surroundings. White and black tiles adorned an impressive interior, elegant and grander than she had ever seen. Statues of the three goddesses, symbols of the Hylian Royal Family, and the Triforce adored everything from the walls to the columns holding the building up. A lone alter stood at the end of a red carpet, small stairs and a massive stone door behind it sealed firmly shut. She had never been here.

"This is the Temple of Time," Jake observed, "though I don't know how..."

"The Temple?" A spark of fear shot through her spine as Blue peered at him. "How do you know?"

"My father was a minister before he retired. I've been here on business. Have you forgotten?"

Princess Zelda, seeming to have regained her strength, stood and pushed from Impa. Angrily she strode over to the three unwelcome tagalongs, cold eyes piercing into each of them.

"You all know perfectly well you are not allowed in the Temple unless it is official business. You will displease the Spirits and the Goddesses with your presence!"

Derek, standing up and towering at least half a body length over the small princess, returned her glare. "Yer Majesty, I mean as little disrespect as I can, but I said before that Link is practically my family. This here is official business. Besides, how were we supposed to know ya'd bring us here?"

Zelda pointed an accusatory finger at the burly man, though she seemed mildly intimidated by his stature. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, her pointing hand flashed with a bright bolt of golden light. She gasped and recoiled in distress.

The same golden glow mirrored hers on Link's limp hand.

"Princess, his presence is sharpening." Impa stated while gazing down at Link, holding him upright. Carefully she picked up the glowing hand in her own and observed it closely. "The mark is almost complete."

"What glows the brightest on it? Impa..." Zelda sounded wistful, as if her emotions battled inside of her chest and rendered her useless.

Impa looked up, meeting the Princess' gaze with her own look of shock and melancholy.

"Courage."

Her suspicions confirmed now, in plain view of everyone. Link held the Triforce of Courage within him, which belonged to the Hero of Time. It was easy to connect the dots from there.

"There is another presence." Impa stated again, breaking the stunned silence that had taken the group.

Just as she finished her sentence, a soft golden mist appeared at the far end of the Temple, materializing before their eyes into the form of a cloaked middle aged man long past, hand extended outward in acknowledgement, a soft knowing smile on his lips as his ethereal form gazed at the distressed Princess.

"Keeper of Wisdom, I see you have found your champion."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, uhm. I don't have much to say. Rupee for your thoughts? lol


End file.
